Unexpected Love, With Someone Unexpected
by Forgotten Dark Soul
Summary: Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family. Full summary inside.
1. Author Note

**New Summary: **

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

Hey Guys!

So, I've temporarily taken the story down so that I can update it, fix mistakes, and add minor details to the story. I know I've already done this, but I was reading over what I have now and thought "This is way to elementary for a second year university student!" Then again I did write it when I was in grade 10/11, but that's besides the point! I won't be putting in a lot of effort for this story, I'm afraid. So it will be very simplistic (I'm currently working on my own novels that I hope to get published one day. I'll let you know about those ones later on down the road when I have more than a couple of chapters written for my them xD)

I'm hoping that I'll have it up again by the end of the night (or at least several of the chapters up). If you have already read my story, you may want to read it again just to be caught up to speed. I don't plan on changing it a whole lot, but I also don't want you guys to miss anything and then be like "WTH! What happened? I don't remember this part!" type thing in later chapters. Minor details can be the key to everything unfortunately :P

Thanks to everyone who has commented so far and has taken the time to read, fave, and alert my story :] I hope I don't disappoint with the new material, and I really hope that I'll be able to finish it one day (hopefully in the near future :P)

Thanks for all of your support!

Love you guys!

-FDS

P.S.: When I repost everything, I will be leaving this up as the "First Chapter" just so people will know what they're getting into in case they want to read it. Then people won't be confused :P Hopefully, no more updates after these ones and then I can get on with the story and not have to worry about it!


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary:**

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or anyone in this story.

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

A/N: Mmk, so for all of my regular people, I am not changing the first six chapters (well, I might make it a little more sophisticated, but that's about it. I might add some more detail as well, but I am NOT changing the story line). I am merely making some corrections because I went through it last night, and holy cow! There were a lot of mistakes! Then again, I did start writing this three years ago in grade 10/11, and now I'm going into second year university. I thought it would be wise for me to do some touch ups :P Enjoy

**Chapter 1**

Kagome held Shippo as she watched in horror as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru exchanged blows with one another. Sesshomaru had sought out Inuyasha to fight him once again for the Tetsusaiga, their father's sword that could kill one hundred youkai in one stroke. The battle had only just begun, but Inuyasha was badly wounded whereas Sesshomaru was unscathed.

"You bastard!" Inuyasha yelled as he swung the Tetsusaiga at his brother.

Sesshomaru's face remained impassive as he stated coldly, "Dragon Strike."

Inuyasha was hit with the full force of the blow and was thrown into the air, Tetsusaiga flying out of his hands. It landed a few feet away from his motionless body, and Kagome screamed Inuyasha's name but nothing happened.

"You will refrain from using such a tone in this Sesshomaru's presence." Sesshomaru sheathed Tokijin and looked back at Inuyasha. "It would seem that it is not time for this Sesshomaru to obtain the Tetsusaiga... pity."

He turned gracefully and began to walk away from the clearing, withholding the grace and elegance of his Taiyoukai heritage as his hair swung behind him. Kagome glared at his back but said nothing.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered.

Shippo raced from Kagome's side to Inuyasha in a flash of red as Kagome slowly stood and walked to her fallen comrade. Her pace was exaggeratedly slow until she finally knelt down beside Inuyasha and brushed a few strands of hair away from his face. She was startled when she felt a pulse coming from Inuyasha's body.

"Hahaoya…" Shippo said worriedly as he tugged on Kagome's sweater.

Kagome started to stand up but was thrown back down by the sheer force of Inuyasha's youki.

Shippo called out to her, but her eyes remained on Inuyasha, widening as Inuyasha's youkai blood began to take control of his body. Kagome quickly scrambled to her feet as Shippo grabbed her hand; they backed away just as the markings of a youkai began to appear on Inuyasha's face.

Sesshomaru stopped as he too felt the increase of Inuyasha's youki. He looked over his shoulder at the hanyou's pulsing body, his eyes showing slight amusement.

Inuyasha's fangs and claws grew, and his eyes turned blood red, the eyes of a murderous hunter. A purple stripe appeared on each cheek, and his youki changed in mere seconds, changing from the feel of ally to enemy. He got to his feet, silently looking around for his adversary. His eyes roamed the clearing until they rested onto two chocolate brown ones staring back at him. He grinned malevolently and barred his fangs.

Kagome's eyes filled with fear, and her body began to tremble as his intense gaze bore into her soul. He slowly walked towards her, but she took a step back, instantly regretting it as Inuyasha followed with two steps of his own. He was only a few paces away from his prey, and he intended to get it.

"Inuyasha! Snap out of it!" Shippo cried, attempting to get Inuyasha's attention.

Inuyasha growled but said nothing.

Kagome gulped, holding Shippo close to her as he clung to her waist, and prayed that by some miracle, she and her son would be saved.

_Kami… Why did I remove that rosary? How could I have been so foolish?_

It had been four years since Kagome had begun her journey with Inuyasha. After the long awaited demise of the wicked hanyou, Naraku, Kagome had made a selfless wish on the Shikon no Tama. Her wish was that everyone could have a second chance. This resulted in the recreation of Kikyo and her soul. Inuyasha had been ecstatic and had praised Kagome. But, that had not lasted for very long.

Sango, Miroku, and Kirara had gone back to the Demon Slayer Village in an attempt to recreate Sango's old home. They had found Kohaku – alive and without the painful memories of killing his family. Sango had come to terms with what had happened the day her brother had killed all of the Demon Slayers and with the feelings she had harboured for Miroku. Miroku had also experienced some changes in the form of his hand being returned to normal and no longer barring the Wind Tunnel. Soon after their return to Sango's village, Miroku had proposed to an elated Sango. As newlyweds, they were already expecting their first child in a few months.

Shippo was adopted by Kagome; he had found his family once again. In that time, he had grown up a lot. He was just reaching his teenage years in human years, but he was over a hundred in youkai years. Kagome now had difficulties with carrying him on their many journeys, but that did not mean that she would not on some occasions.

Kagome now traveled the Sengoku Jidai with Inuyasha, Kikyo, and Shippo. Kikyo had changed a lot as well; she referred to Kagome as her sister and apprentice, and she was always looking out for Kagome.

Inuyasha was the same as ever. He was always making rude comments to Kagome, even after she had restored Kikyo to her former self. He and Kikyo had finally mated, and, like Sango, Kikyo was expecting a pup in the near future. At that time, Kagome had thought it wise to remove the subjugation beads.

Kagome was jealous of her friends' happiness, but she could not help but feel content that they were all comfortable after so many years of unhappiness. Kagome had also changed a lot from the teenage girl everyone met four previous years into the sophisticated, young woman that everyone knew at present. She hadn't said her official goodbyes to her family in the present, but she had decided it would be better to stay in the Sengoku Jidai so that she could be there for Shippo and help others who needed it. To everyone's surprise, the well had not been closed once the Shikon no Tama had been restored to Kagome's body, which Kagome was grateful. She hadn't been back to her own era for a long while, but she did not mind; Shippo was her first priority, and her family understood that. Instead of wearing her usual school uniform, she had traded in for the normal attire for that era. On business occasions, she wore the traditional miko garment; however, recreationally, she wore a black and silver kimono that her mother had bought her on her last visit to her era.

And here she was now.

"Inuyasha… what's wrong with you?" Kagome shouted. She reached a hand out to the hanyou in a last attempt to feel their connection, but she could no longer feel it. A void filled his heart, pushing any thoughts of Kagome out of his mind.

Inuyasha growled and crouched down to the ground.

"Inu…" She did not have time to finish as he lunged at her. She closed her eyes and hugged Shippo to herself, awaiting the anticipated attack.

Before anyone could comprehend what had happened, Sesshomaru had picked up Kagome and Shippo and carried them out of harms way. He placed the two trembling figures on the ground, and Kagome collapsed to the ground in a fit of hysterical sobs.

"Hahaoya," Shippo said as he knelt beside his mother and held her to him as she wept in fear.

Sesshomaru watched the exchange with impassive eyes and returned his attention to his growling brother.

Inuyasha snarled at him as Sesshomaru protected his prey. He picked up the Tetsusaiga, and it flared to life in its true form.

Kagome's eyes widened as Inuyasha did not change back into his hanyou form once he and his sword were reunited. "The Tetsusaiga…"

"You are truly despicable. After everything the miko has done for you, you repay her with bloodshed," Sesshomaru replied coldly to Inuyasha's advances. He turned to look over his shoulder at said miko as she and her son hid behind him.

"Sesshomaru-sama! Look out!" Kagome cried.

No sooner had the words escaped her lips, Inuyasha's claws had ripped through Sesshomaru's right arm. Sesshomaru's left arm had been restored once Kagome had made the wish. However, Inuyasha went for Sesshomaru's dominant arm to attack, rendering his right arm almost useless. Sesshomaru didn't even flinch as an unhealthy amount of blood flowed freely from his arm.

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

Sesshomaru did not answer Kagome's concern but turned his head back to his brother who had leapt away and wielded his sword in front of him. Sesshomaru had barely enough time to push Kagome and Shippo out of the way of the Wind Scar before he was consumed by the full effect of the blow.

Kagome fell to the ground, manoeuvring Shippo so that she landed on her back and he landed on her. As she hit the ground, she struck the back of her head against a rock, and for a moment, everything went black. She sat up, quickly blinked the darkness away, and watched as Sesshomaru was thrown into a tree from the unexpected attack. She heard the ear shattering crack as the momentum of Sesshomaru broke the tree from its roots.

Inuyasha smirked in satisfaction. Once he returned his attention to Kagome, he licked his lips and grinned maniacally.

Kagome was about to call out to Sesshomaru, but Inuyasha quickly cut her off with a feral snarl that sounded like 'Shut the fuck up, bitch!'

Inuyasha slowly advanced on her with claws that dripped from the residue of Sesshomaru's blood and the screech of Tetsusaiga being dragged along the ground behind him. He growled again, but Kagome couldn't understand what he was saying. She knew it was something that she wouldn't want to hear though.

Kagome's eyes began to mist with tears, but what came out of Inuyasha's mouth sent a chill straight down her spine.

"You will never be part of the Sengoku Jidai."

Kagome felt like she had been slapped in the face as she wrapped her arms around herself. She did not love Inuyasha like that anymore, but she did love him as an older brother. The words that fell from his mouth cut her like a million knives pinning her to a wall. She cowered in fear and shivers racked her body as Shippo climbed onto Kagome's lap and rubbed his nose against her neck.

"If you hurt my hahaoya, I swear on my chichioya's grave that I will hunt you down and kill you," Shippo said, barring his fangs.

Inuyasha chuckled and grabbed the kit by the throat, tossing him away from Kagome. He watched her as she made an effort to run to her unconscious son, but he quickly grabbed her by the throat and lifted her in the air, watching her as she struggled for breath. He grinned at her and nipped at her face as she thrashed about.

Kagome's eyes began to tear up, but not from the overwhelming emotions inside of her. She kicked her legs out at Inuyasha as he began to crush her windpipe. She scratched at his hand and begged with pleading eyes, but the pressure did not let up. Just when everything was about to go black, the pressure on her neck eased and she was dropped to the ground, gasping for air.

Sesshomaru stood behind Inuyasha with his clawed hand stabbed through Inuyasha's back and could clearly be seen on the other side. He slowly began to release his poison into Inuyasha's wound, and Kagome could see that it was already having its acidic effect on Inuyasha's flesh as it was slowly being eaten away.

"Half-breed, you do not deserve to live… and you will die at my hands!" Sesshomaru snarled as he pulled his hand free of Inuyasha's flesh and unsheathed Tokijin.

Kagome crawled over to the unconscious form of her son and watched as the two brothers attacked each other mercilessly.

"Hiretsukan!" Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga in a wide arc at Sesshomaru's head, but Sesshomaru easily blocked it but was not so lucky the next time.

Sesshomaru could have easily beaten Inuyasha, but he had been wounded earlier that day and was still recovering from the injury. Inuyasha laid one final blow by plunging the Tetsusaiga into Sesshomaru's already healing wound, and twisting it like a key in a lock. Inuyasha released his hold on the Tetsusaiga as it protruded through Sesshomaru's chest and smiled as Sesshomaru was brought to his knees. He turned back to Kagome as Sesshomaru knelt there in pain. Kagome scrambled to Shippo and held him against her chest as Inuyasha advanced, but he was shot in the back with a purifying arrow before he could reach her.

Inuyasha looked back over his shoulder as the fury evaporated from his eyes and he returned to his normal state. What he did not expect to see was Kikyo as she lowered her bow.

"K-Kikyo… I-I thought…?"

"Inuyasha, I could never love someone who would try to kill their best friend. I have come to love Kagome like my sister, and I will not watch her die by your hands," a very pregnant Kikyo stated coldly. "She gave us a second chance, Inuyasha! And, you threw it back in her face!"

She nodded to Sesshomaru who had moved Tokijin into his uninjured, left arm and threw it at Inuyasha; it plunged through his heart. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he fell to the ground motionless, never to move again.

Sesshomaru watched the priestess walk back into the forest and then turned back to the miko. She lay unconscious by Shippo, her body not able to handle the day's events. Her body was curled protectively around him as if to ward off any opposing enemies. He could smell the scent of blood that was slowly starting to congeal on the back of her head, and the kitsune was suffering from a concussion.

Sesshomaru looked down at the Tetsusaiga and at all of the blood that flowed from his midsection. He grabbed the hilt of the sword and wrenched it free of his flesh. His face remained impassive as he looked at the sword oddly. It had not shocked him like the previous times he had tried to wield it; the Tetsusaiga must have realized that its master had perished.

From the exertion of removing the Tetsusaiga from his body and throwing it away from him, more blood flowed out of the wound. And in that small moment, his eyes widened in pain as he fell face first into the pool of blood that slowly surrounded him. He was lost to unconsciousness.

A/N: Once again, it has been rewritten. Well, not rewritten, just updated to a more sophisticated writing style (one that makes more sense since I left out a lot of stuff I had originally planned on putting in. Apparently my head was saying one thing and my hands were typing another :P). Hope you enjoyed it. Plan on getting the rest of the newly updated chapters up tonight. And I'll be writing the 7th chapter tomorrow. Peace! :D

PLEASE REVIEW! I'd love to know how you thought of it!


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary: **

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or anyone in this story.

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts_'

**Chapter 2**

Kagome slowly opened her eyes and was met with a throbbing pain that could be felt on the back of her head. She grabbed the sides of her head and moaned softly as she looked up at the dark sky. The stars shone brightly in the night sky; it always amazed her that there were so many stars. In present day Japan, she could never see stars like this; it was too polluted to see anything beyond several hundreds of stars.

Kagome uncurled herself from her son's sleeping form and stretched as she sat upright, the muscles in her shoulders tightening with a brutal force. She rubbed the back of her head, and when she pulled her hand back, it came away crusted with blood.

_Great… I have a concussion... _she thought. Kagome tired to remember what had happened the day before, but only bits and pieces were coming back to her. She could remember Inuyasha, Shippo, and her taking a walk while Kikyo visited a small village. She also remembered running into Sesshomaru and Inuyasha turning into a full demon, but everything after that was a complete blur.

She tapped her fingers softly against her lips and looked around the clearing. She could see dark puddles everywhere around her, and the Tetsusaiga lay a few inches from her feet. There were two big shadows lying on the ground as well. One with two things sticking out of its back, and the other was face first in a puddle.

"Inuyasha…" Her eyes widened as everything that had happened the night before flashed in front of her eyes.

"Inuyasha!" she growled as tears of anger and betrayal streamed down her face. She did not go to him; she did not feel safe with him any longer, and she had no idea which of the fallen shadows was him.

She wiped away her tears and determinedly got to her feet. She swayed dramatically as her petite form was overcome with dizziness and nausea, and she fell back down, hitting her bruised knees on the hard earth. She clumsily rolled to the side and wretched the contents of her empty stomach. She rolled back onto her other side and curled up around Shippo's unconscious body. She was lost to unconsciousness in mere seconds.

Kagome awoke with a start as Shippo gently shook her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered and her son's face looked down at her with so much concern it was gut wrenching. She sat up with some help and observed her surroundings. What she had thought were puddles were actually pools of blood scattered around the clearing, blood that came from the two bodies that looked like they had been haphazardly thrown about by their puppeteer. One of the bodies was farther away from the other, but the closest one she recognized as Inuyasha. The damage that was done to the clearing was astronomical, proving there had been a battle to the death only a few hours previous.

Her eyes widened and she looked at Shippo; his expression held pain and fear and hatred on it as he looked at Inuyasha's body. Shippo began to sob as he thought about almost losing his mother. Kagome sensed what was troubling him and pulled him to her chest. She cooed softly in his ear and gently rocked him as she had long ago. She rubbed soothing circles in his back as she observed the two bodies.

The first one she had already determined as Inuyasha. There was a sacred arrow just below his right shoulder blade, and Tokijin protruded through his back and out the other side. She knew that Tokijin was Sesshomaru's, but she wondered who had used the sacred arrow. She only knew of one other person who could use sacred arrows, but she was confused as to why Kikyo would have killed her mate.

Kagome took Shippo by the shoulders and looked at him with her piercing brown eyes. "Shippo?"

"Yes, hahaoya?"

"I know you won't be pleased with what I'm about to ask you, but will you help me bury Inuyasha? He at least deserves a proper burial."

Shippo scoffed as he looked away from his mother. "After what he said to you and tried to do to you, he doesn't even deserve to be left out here for other youkai to feast on him."

"I know. But will you help me do this?" she asked with pleading eyes.

Shippo sighed and helped his mother to her feet. He kept his hand in hers and led them both to the body of Inuyasha. Kagome had seen death many times before, but thankfully, she had never witnessed a friend pass on. However, even after everything Inuyasha had done to her, she couldn't be angry with him, and it hurt that she had inadvertently watched and helped in her comrade's death. But, she wasn't mad at Sesshomaru or Kikyo either; they had saved her life, and for that, she was grateful. She knelt beside Inuyasha and took his outstretched arm in her hand; she checked for a pulse but found none.

"Inuyasha?" she asked cautiously just in case his heartbeat was too faint for her to feel. "Shippo, help me get Tokijin out of his back."

Shippo nodded and meant to grab for the sword when a demonic shock shot up his arm. "Ah, shit!" he cursed.

"Shippo!" Kagome said, with half-anger and half-worry. Anger for him swearing. Worry for his safety.

He shook his hand but smiled at Kagome. "I'm alright. I don't think I'll be able to get the sword out, though."

"And the arrow will purify you," Kagome said sourly. "It's fine; I can handle it. You just make sure that that burn is alright."

"Hai."

Kagome looked fixedly at the sword and arrow. The arrow would not be a problem; the sword on the other hand…. She sighed and placed one hand on Inuyasha's back for support and the other on the arrow.

"Alright… 1… 2…3!" She pulled with all of her strength and the arrow pulled free with ease. With the unexpected ease of the arrow from Inuyasha's flesh, she went tumbling backwards and fell on her butt.

Shippo chuckled softly and helped her up.

"Ok… now for the sword…" Kagome hesitantly reached for the sword, but she did not receive a shock when she touched a finger to the hilt to test. With more confidence, she wrapped her small hand around the hilt and still did not receive a shock.

"Huh," Shippo grunted.

She pulled the sword easily from Inuyasha's back and watched in horror as the wound slowly oozed blood.

"People don't usually bleed when they're dead," Kagome stated in horror as she dropped Tokijin beside her.

Shippo shrugged but nodded his head in agreement. He placed his hand in Kagome's and smiled up at her. She did not return the smile because her gaze was fixed on Inuyasha's body. She stared at her best friend for a long time and came to a decision that no matter how cruel he had been in his dying moments, he was still her friend.

"Shippo, will you help me make a grave for him?"

"Hai, hahaoya," Shippo replied softly.

Kagome smiled down at her son and knelt down in front of him. "No matter what, I want you to know that I love you. Nothing can stop me from doing that. The next couple of months will be hard, but we'll be fine as long as we have each other."

"Maybe we can stay with Kaede. Or visit Miroku and Sango," he said hopefully.

"I'm sure they'd love to have us. Now let's get to work. We both need to eat soon, and I don't want to be digging a grave in the middle of the night."

"Hai!"

Without the necessary tools, it took Kagome and Shippo just over three hours to dig a grave big enough for Inuyasha and deep enough that wild animals or youkai wouldn't dig him up. Kagome had originally wanted to bury him near the Goshinboku, but there was no way for her and Shippo to transfer him over that kind of distance.

When they had finished digging the hole, Shippo helped Kagome lower Inuyasha's body into the grave. Once he was gently laid to rest and covered with dirt, Kagome sat exhaustedly on the ground beside the makeshift tomb and hugged her knees to her body. Shippo hugged her and whispered that he would leave her to say some final words while he went to find some flowers. Kagome smiled up at her son and nodded her consent. When Shippo had disappeared into the forest, Kagome looked back down at the grave with solemn eyes.

"Inuyasha… you were my brother and my dearest friend. I am happy that I have known you. We went through good times and bad times. You broke my heart more than once, but I'm happy you found happiness before your dying day, even if you have hated me all this time. Last night, you said that I don't belong here, but you're wrong. The Sengoku Jidai is my home, and my era is no longer a place that I want to be. I love you Inuyasha. You protected me from many adversaries, and for that, I am grateful. You will be greatly missed by all, and I only hope that you can find peace in the afterlife," Kagome whispered sadly.

Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes and got to her feet. Shippo returned a few seconds later with a bundle of red roses that he placed on the grave. He looked up at his mother and took her hand in his and smiled. She smiled back and sighed. They both turned their attention to the other body, and Kagome went ridged at the realization of who it was. It was Sesshomaru.

"Oh no," Kagome gasped as she covered her mouth with her unoccupied hand. "Please don't tell me that both brothers are dead."

Shippo hesitantly pulled Kagome over to Sesshomaru's body, and she sat down beside the body as Shippo stood behind her. Like she had with Inuyasha, Kagome checked for a pulse and smiled when she found one; it was faint but a pulse nonetheless.

"Hahaoya, he's still bleeding."

"I know, Shippo… help me rip the sleeves off my kimono."

"But, Hahaoya!"

"We can get another one, Shippo. It's just clothing. I just wish I hadn't left my bag at Kaede's..."

"Hai…"

Shippo helped Kagome rip the sleeves of her kimono and fold them neatly into a wad. Kagome gulped and, with as much courage she could muster, pushed Sesshomaru onto his back. He grunted but, otherwise, made no other movement or noise, and his eyes remained closed. Kagome sighed in relief as she started to remove Sesshomaru's armour. He wasn't wearing his usual heavy armour for protection, but he was wearing a light breastplate. Kagome now understood how the Tetsusaiga had easily pierced his armour; the metal was tough but nowhere near strong enough to withstand the full force of the Tetsusaiga. The armour was easy to remove and she gently set it down beside her.

Shippo watched worriedly from behind her. He had always admired his mother for her kindness, but what she was doing was not acceptable. She was undressing a Taiyoukai – one that had tried to kill her on more than one occasion – and a Taiyoukai that would not bat an eyelash if he suddenly woke up and slaughtered her then and there. Shippo bit his lip in frustration and said nothing. His mother knew what she was doing.

Oblivious to Shippo's fears, Kagome carefully removed his haori and cringed at what she saw. Sesshomaru's entire midsection looked like it had been put in a meat grinder. She was sure it was starting to heal because there was no longer a gaping hole where Inuyasha had impaled Sesshomaru with the Tetsusaiga. Although Sesshomaru was healing well, there was still a lot of bleeding, and Kagome could watch the muscles slowly knitting themselves back together. She was glad that Sesshomaru was unconscious for this because she was sure that it was a lot more painful than Sesshomaru would let on if he were awake.

She continued to push Sesshomaru's haori off his shoulders, and she carefully pealed it off of the crusted blood on his right arm. Thankfully, the wound had healed itself and only a long, puckered, pink scar remained. She returned her attention to Sesshomaru's midsection and took a strip of her ripped kimono and began to wipe the blood that was still pouring freely from the abrasion. Kagome tried with difficulty to pay attention to the injury rather than to Sesshomaru's body. She couldn't deny that he was gorgeous, and even that word couldn't compare to the magnificence of him. His toned and muscled body was a perfect ivory colour, and his long, silver hair was stained with his blood but made him even more alluring.

Kagome shook her head free of the thoughts of Sesshomaru and returned her attention to his injuries. In some of the cuts, there were pieces of dirt that needed to be washed away. Kagome frowned then looked at the pant legs of her kimono. She began tearing them from mid-thigh down, ignoring Shippo's protests. When she was done, she handed the strips to Shippo and asked if he could go to the stream and soak the cloth for her. He nodded stiffly but did as his mother asked.

While Shippo was gone, Kagome continued to inspect Sesshomaru to make sure there weren't any other injuries she had missed; luckily, there wasn't any. Within minutes, Shippo returned with the dripping pieces of her Kimono and put them in her outstretched hand. He stood behind Kagome again, not wanting to interfere.

Kagome gratefully accepted the cloths and gently laid them across Sesshomaru's stomach where the wound was the largest. She was hesitant to put the cold strips on Sesshomaru, fully expecting him to shoot upright and kill her for the audacity of touching him, but he didn't. He didn't even flinch. Kagome sighed in relief and took the one last remaining wet cloth and began to dab his face where a mixture of dirt and blood clung to it.

In an instant, Sesshomaru's red tainted eyes shot open, and he grabbed Kagome's wrist as she had been about to wipe his neck. Kagome froze in fear, dropping the cloth as Shippo got between her and Sesshomaru and gnashed his teeth at the Taiyoukai.

Kagome wrenched her arm free of Sesshomaru's grasp, scrambling to her feet as she pulled Shippo with her. She pushed Shippo behind her and glared down at Sesshomaru as he glared evenly back. Shippo poked his head out from behind his mother and growled at Sesshomaru. Kagome shushed him and held her ground as Sesshomaru watched her.

The Taiyoukai sat up and moved backwards slightly so that he could lean against the trunk of a tree. He took in a shallow breath, closing his eyes as he let his head rest against the bark.

"You need not be afraid, ningen," Sesshomaru said, wincing as he placed a hand over his wound.

Kagome cautiously approached and knelt beside Sesshomaru. She motioned for Shippo to come, but he stayed where he was and glared at Sesshomaru. She picked up the discarded, damp cloth and hesitantly moved to touch his neck to clean it, but she stopped and searched his face for agreement.

"Is this alright?" she asked quickly as she looked from the cloth to him.

Sesshomaru nodded, and Kagome proceeded to clean his neck and face. She didn't bother washing his chest as it would just become bloody again, and to be honest, she didn't feel comfortable doing that for him. Kagome dropped the cloth and went to remove the strips from his midsection. Sesshomaru winced in pain and grabbed Kagome's shoulder to keep him stable; his breaths were shallow and his eyes were still tainted red.

Shippo growled protectively as he watched Sesshomaru's claws dig into Kagome's skin. She grimaced, but she shot Shippo a stern look. Kagome waited for Sesshomaru's breathing to become regular again before she put her wrist on Sesshomaru's forehead and put the other on her own.

"You feel like you have a fever, Sesshomaru-sama," she said worriedly.

Sesshomaru grunted but otherwise said nothing. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth to block out the pain

"Demons have a different body temperature than humans, hahaoya," Shippo said through clenched teeth

Sesshomaru didn't open his eyes as he inquired, "He is your son. But, you are not a youkai."

Kagome laughed, "Of course I'm not a youkai! We may not be biologically related, but I can't help but love him like my own. I've known him for four years and he does feel like my son." Kagome shrugged. "Call it maternal instinct."

"I am your son," Shippo said firmly and Kagome smiled at him.

"Not many ningens or youkai would take in an orphaned child or a youkai child. Why would you do such a foolish thing," he stated.

Kagome huffed. "Well, you took in Rin-chan, so I do not see how this is any different."

Sesshomaru didn't reply and Kagome glared at him. Shippo watched the exchange between the two and frowned. He didn't know what to make of the exchange but there was something interesting that he could not place.

Kagome continued to glare at Sesshomaru as she placed the remaining dry strips of her kimono sleeves onto Sesshomaru's stomach. She stood and began undoing her obi, and Sesshomaru raised an elegant eyebrow in confusion.

"Hahaoya! What are you doing!" Shippo asked incredulous.

"I need to tie his wound, Shippo. If I don't, it will get infected."

"Hai..." Shippo agreed reluctantly. "But, Hahaoya, your kimono..."

"I can always buy another one," she smiled. Kagome finished unwrapping her obi and her haori – no longer held in place – opened to reveal her hadajuban. She made Sesshomaru sit forward so she could wrap the obi around his waist.

"Your efforts are fruitless, ningen," Sesshomaru stated as he rested back against the tree.

Kagome fumed. She knew that youkai healed remarkably fast, but she didn't want to be the one blamed for the Taiyoukai's death. She stood and brushed the dirt from her hands on her torn kimono.

"Shippo, I'm going to the stream to clean up. Stay with Sesshomaru-sama and make sure he doesn't move until I get back," she said as she started walking from the clearing.

"Hai!" Shippo agreed. He sat a few paces from the Taiyoukai and watched as his mother disappeared into the forest.

"This Sesshomaru does not understand why you, a youkai, will stay with a weak ningen," Sesshomaru said in his usual monotone.

"Because, Sesshomaru-sama, she needs me just as much as I need her."

Sesshomaru contemplated what the kitsune had said and he could not shake the feeling that the kitsune was right. _Why does the ningen feel that it is her obligation to be the kits mother? And why does she help this Sesshomaru when her instincts tell her to run?_

Kagome fumed as she walked towards the stream that Inuyasha, Shippo, and she had passed before the outbreak with Sesshomaru. She sat down on the bank and soaked her feet in the cool stream's water and rinsed her hands of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha's blood. She rubbed the back of her head and remembered that she had hit her head the night before. She cupped one of her hands in the water and did the best that she could to rinse the crusted blood from the back of her head. She sighed as she brought her hand back to the water, and around her hand, it turned a light copper colour.

She thought of the day's events and attempted not to cry. Everything seemed like a blur and she could hardly believe that it had happened at all. _I have to be strong for Shippo, _she thought._ He needs me._

Kagome gently kicked her legs in the cool water, letting it soak into her pours and calm her nerves. Her mind slowly drifted to Sesshomaru and she paused as she thought about him. Kagome frowned.

"What an inconsiderate man," Kagome mumbled. _Youkai, _she corrected herself. She leaned back on her elbows and looked at the early afternoon sky. "Why am I doing this for him? It's not like he's going to smile, give me a slap on the back and say in a southern accent, 'Job well done, Kagome! I could really use a gal like you!'"

Kagome laughed. _Highly unlikely._

"Why am I doing this?" she asked again as she pulled her feet out of the water and waited for her feet to dry in the summer sun before putting her shoes back on.

She didn't get an answer, but she wasn't expecting one either. She slipped her shoes back on and stood. As she walked back to where she had left Shippo and Sesshomaru, Kagome entertained the thought of an upbeat Sesshomaru who spoke in a southern accent.

_That'll be the day,_ she giggled as she came into the clearing. On instinct, her hands shot out to catch herself as her foot got caught on something and she began to plummet to the ground. In an instant, Shippo was beside his mother and caught her with ease.

"Thank you so much, Shippo," Kagome said truthfully as she looked back to see what had caused her trip. Her eyes widened when she saw the mound of dirt that was Inuyasha's grave, and her throat began to close.

Shippo watched his mother in concern and helped her back to Sesshomaru as she fought back the lump in her throat. She quickly cleared her throat and looked at Sesshomaru.

"Hahaoya?" Shippo asked hesitantly.

"Hai...?" she asked solemnly.

"Are you alright...?"

Kagome cleared her throat again and gave Shippo a radiant smile. "I'm fine."

Shippo was sceptical to believe her but didn't press the matter further as Kagome moved away from him to Sesshomaru. Kagome reached to pull his haori back over his shoulders, but Sesshomaru growled and glared at her.

Kagome glared back. "What is your problem!" she said angrily.

"This Sesshomaru does not need your help, ningen," he growled again.

Shippo looked at his mother and immediately covered his ears, but he was shocked when Kagome didn't start yelling. Kagome looked at the ground, quickly losing her anger.

"I know you don't need my help," Kagome said as she glared back up at Sesshomaru. "But, I don't know what else to do!"

Sesshomaru watched has her hands clenched and unclenched his haori. He sighed and looked away, and Kagome took that as a sign to continue. She helped him put on his breastplate and helped him stand. When she was sure that he was stable without her, she retrieved Tokijin for Sesshomaru and collected her discarded and forgotten bow and arrows. She strapped the bow and quiver to her back and handed Sesshomaru his sword, which he strapped to his waist and nodded in thanks.

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru as he stood at least a foot taller than her. She sighed and quickly turned her back to him and smiled at Shippo.

"Come on, Shippo!" Kagome smiled as she picked Shippo up, spun him around, and then hugged him to her chest.

"Hahaoya! Not in front of Sesshomaru-sama!" he said as he squirmed in Kagome's grasp.

"Let him look," Kagome giggled as she snuggled Shippo closer to her chest.

"But, hahaoya..." Shippo paused. "Hahaoya, I am worried about your appearance. I don't want you to get hurt because of how you look."

"Well, we'll just have to fight them off now won't we?" Kagome smiled down at her son. "Don't worry about me. I've got you to protect me."

Shippo swelled up with pride but was also sceptical of his mother's wishes. Kagome placed him back on the ground and smiled, muttering for him not to worry about her. She took his hand and began to walk away.

Sesshomaru watched the miko walk away in her tattered kimono. Her son was right. She did look like a poor ningen and an easy target for indecent men and lowlife youkai. Her arms and legs were bare due to the lack of sleeves and pant legs, leaving little to the imagination. He was surprised to see the amount of scars that covered her skin, but he ignored his curiosity and turned to leave. He was stopped by a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach that if he didn't do something, something would happen to the ningen and her son. He sighed inaudibly as he concluded that he would allow the ningen and her son to travel with him until the next village.

"Ningen…" he said in his usual monotone.

"Hmm…?" Kagome said as she glanced over her shoulder to the Taiyoukai.

"Come."

Kagome frowned. "Why?"

Sesshomaru sighed. "At least until you have found a suitable kimono to wear. This Sesshomaru does not want you to be harmed for the kindness you have shown him."

He began to walk way, assuming Kagome would follow. She watched in astonishment at what he had said then sighed in defeat and followed. Her eyes widened as her toe caught on something.

"Hey! Sesshomaru-sama!" Kagome said, looking down at the rusty Tetsusaiga. She picked it up and looked back up at Sesshomaru who was disappearing into the forest.

Kagome quickly found the discarded sheath and sheathed the sword, strapping it to her side. She looked up and was startled that she could no longer see Sesshomaru

"Come on, Shippo! We'll lose him if we don't hurry!"

A/N: I didn't make any major changes but I did update and add details. Unfortunately, it looks like at the pace that I'm going I won't be able to start the new chapter – after I have updated the old ones – until the middle of next week. I know I've told some of you that I would have it up by the end of the weekend, but work won't permit me that extra time. I'll do all that I can to update once every other day though. Hope you enjoyed this new version of Chapter 2. I didn't like how Kagome was so childish and vulnerable and – no offense – ditsy in my last version, so I tried to make her a little more mature in this version (Hopefully it worked!). Enjoy and please review :] Love you guys!

**Japanese Translations:**

**Hahaoya –** mother

**Hiretsukan –** mean bastard, despicable person, sneak

**Hadajuban – **_the first layer of underwear underneath the kimono_

**Obi –**_ belt or sash for kimono_

**Haori – **_jacket worn over kimono_


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary: **

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or anyone in this story.

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts'_

**Chapter 3**

Kagome sighed for the millionth time as she stomped after Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru, Shippo, and she had been walking for hours; Kagome was tired, and Shippo lazily hung from his mother as she gave him a piggyback. Sesshomaru wasn't helping either; he ignored them as usual and kept a brisk pace that I always left Kagome jogging to keep up or struggling as she fell behind. Shippo was getting worried that his mother wouldn't be able to continue, and just when he was about to demand that Sesshomaru stop, a blur of orange fabric raced towards them and latched itself onto Sesshomaru's waist.

"I have missed you so much, Sesshomaru-sama! Jaken-sama is so boring; and I would much rather spend my time travelling with you," Rin pouted.

Kagome chuckled at Rin's innocent antics as Shippo slid off her back and quietly came to stand beside her. Kagome watched the exchange between Rin and Sesshomaru, and she was interested to see the way Sesshomaru reacted to her. Rin beamed up at her father, and Sesshomaru patted her head and his eyes softened when he looked down at her. Kagome's heart warmed at the sight of the two of them. Sesshomaru wasn't outright showing his love for his daughter, but Kagome could see that Sesshomaru truly cared for Rin because of way that he was careful around her and the almost unnoticeable look of protectiveness in his eyes.

Kagome smiled as she looked down at her own son and whispered, "Don't be shy, sweetie. I'm sure Rin-chan would love to play with you."

Rin questioningly looked up from Sesshomaru's chest and squealed. She immediately latched onto Kagome's waist and buried her face into Kagome's chest. Kagome smiled as she picked Rin up as if she were still the young girl she knew. Like Shippo, Rin had grown substantially in the span of four years. When Kagome had first met her, Rin had only been seven or eight, but now, Rin was turning into a beautiful young woman of eleven or twelve. She no longer wore her hair down, but now kept her wavy brown locks in a messy ponytail to remain out of her face.

"Kagome-sama! I have missed you so much! I have grown so much since the last time you saw me, and I have so many stories to tell you! Are you joining Sesshomaru-sama and me? Are you going to become my new hahaoya?"

Kagome tensed as she looked over Rin's head to Sesshomaru. He was as impassive as ever. Kagome glared at him as she put Rin down. Shippo growled possessively and quickly claimed Kagome's hand.

"I've missed you too, Rin-chan. Unfortunately, I'm only staying for the night, but in the meantime, I'd be glad to hear about all of your adventures, and I'm sure you and Shippo will have fun catching up as well," Kagome said as she smiled down at Rin.

Rin looked over at Shippo who stood rigid beside his mother. Rin grinned at Shippo and launched herself at him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. It was so cute. Shippo was just over five feet and Rin was several inches shorter, but Kagome could clearly see over Rin's head to see Shippo's annoyed expression. Even though Shippo was his usual caring self, he had become very much a teenage boy with the attitude – not that that attitude was directed at Kagome but it was directed at everyone else. Kagome smiled encouragingly at Shippo and he sighed as he hesitantly hugged Rin back.

"Shippo-kun!" Rin said as her head fit perfectly in the crook of Shippo's neck. "It is so good to see you again."

"Hello, Rin-chan," Shippo said uncertainly. "It's good to see you too."

"I have to show you this amazing field of flowers!" she exclaimed excitedly as she grabbed Shippo's hand and started pulling him away.

Shippo looked back at his mother with a slightly annoyed expression, and his eyes asked for permission. Kagome nodded and smiled at the two as they disappeared into the forest.

Kagome half-heartedly glared at Sesshomaru and stated, "You let her run in the forest at night."

Sesshomaru didn't answer as usual, and he gracefully sat down as far away from Kagome without being out of visual range. Kagome continued to glare at Sesshomaru as she sat as far away from him as well.

_What have I ever done to you? _Kagome thought. Sesshomaru grunted and Kagome's head shot up to see him looking at her. Kagome blushed as she realized she had spoken aloud and turned her attention to Jaken as he came stumbling out of the bushes, muttering curses about Rin being the death of him.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru glared coldly. Jaken looked up startled and quickly bowed to his lord and then to Kagome.

"It is good to see you again, miko-sama," Jaken said as he bowed once again to Kagome.

"It's good to see you as well, Jaken-san. And just Kagome," Kagome smiled.

"I hope you have been fairing well since our last meeting," he said as he straightened up and nodded.

Kagome forced a smile and nodded. "And I hope the same is for you."

Jaken paused and looked at Kagome. She looked a lot worse for wear. She was very beautiful for a ningen; her appearance and air about her almost gave her the quality of a youkai. However, the blood and dirt that crusted her torn kimono was not an appealing look on her, and her appearance would get her in trouble if she came across the wrong people. Although Jaken wasn't particularly fond of ningens, he had come to respect Kagome and he ranked Kagome up there with Sesshomaru himself.

Jaken cleared his throat and asked, "Kagome-sama, would you like me to get you another kimono?"

Sesshomaru glared at Jaken, and Jaken instantly became quiet as he bowed to his lord. Kagome frowned and glared at Sesshomaru, returning her attention back to Jaken with a smile.

"That is very kind, Jaken-san. But, I cannot accept, I plan on buying a new one along with some others at the next village. But, I appreciate the offer."

Jaken didn't answer Kagome out of respect for his master's wishes, and he, personally, didn't want to be throttled for showing kindness. Instead, he decided to waddle off to find firewood before it became dark.

Kagome sighed as she looked up at the sky and watched the clouds float by. After awhile, she frowned when she realized that the sun was no longer hitting her due to the rotation of the shadows of the day; the sun was showing the signs of mid-afternoon. More importantly, she was concerned that it was reaching that point in the afternoon and she hadn't even realized it. Kagome strained to hear the shrill voices of the children as they played, but she could no longer hear them. She quickly got to her feet and concentrated on finding the children's energies, closing her eyes to remain focused. Once she had found them, she began to relax but a chill ran down her spine as she sensed the threatening youki of a youkai.

Sesshomaru watched as Kagome began to tremble. Her eyes shot open and there was fear placed in her brown orbs. Kagome stood there in shock for what seemed like eternity but in reality was a split second. She quickly bolted from the clearing as Sesshomaru watched with disinterest. After a few moments, he silently stood and leapt up into a tree as he followed Kagome's scent.

Kagome pushed branches away from her face and stumbled over rocks and roots, but she was determined to find Rin and Shippo as she ran at her full speed. She pushed one last branch away and was met with a horrific sight.

A vast clearing of wild flowers met her gaze, and the afternoon rays of sunlight hit the petals of the flowers perfectly as they sparkled at the warmth. However, Kagome's eyes were only focused on Rin and Shippo. Kagome's heart pounded as a female kuma youkai stood over the trembling children. The kuma reached for Shippo and grasped his small throat in her much larger hand.

"Hahaoya!" Shippo shrieked as the youkai began to apply pressure to his throat.

Kagome reacted without thinking, pulling out the Tetsusaiga from its sheath and wielding it like a true warrior. The blade came to life instantly, and Kagome had no time to reflect on how it was possible. She was solely focused on the reason her son was in pain. Kagome had been trained by Sango in close combat and jujutsu, and Inuyasha had trained her in iaido and kendo. Although she was nowhere near the ability to take on a youkai of Sesshomaru's calibre, she could hold her own against Sango, Inuyasha, youkai, or multiple adversaries.

Kagome ran at the youkai and watched as the female flung Shippo away from her, hoping that Kagome would go after the kitsune. Kagome didn't bat an eyelash in Shippo's direction, knowing that he was fine as she thrust and parried with the Tetsusaiga to the youkai's claws.

Sesshomaru watched from a hidden place in the trees as Kagome danced around the kuma youkai, spinning and bouncing out of harm's way at every advance the youkai made.

The youkai dodged one of Kagome's attacks and made a swipe at her throat, but Kagome ducked the attack by bending backwards and swinging the Tetsusaiga in a propeller-like motion that was horizontal with the ground. The kuma youkai shrieked in pain as its midsection was slashed open by the sword and she collapsed to the ground, gasping in pain.

Kagome righted herself with the help of Tetsusaiga and whispered her deepest apologies to the youkai. The kuma glared up at Kagome and exhaled its final breath as she choked out a snarl. Kagome sighed as she sheathed the Tetsusaiga and knelt beside the youkai, closing its eyes. Kagome stood and turned to Rin and Shippo who stood there in shock. Shippo was the first to run over to Kagome.

Shippo launched himself into Kagome's arms and she caught him with ease as she began to sob. Rin hurriedly joined them, and Kagome knelt so that she could hug them both.

"I was so scared," Kagome whispered as tears streamed down her face.

Rin began to tremble as the shock of what happened was finally catching up to her, and Shippo pressed his face into his mother's neck. Kagome picked Rin up, sitting Rin on her hip as she took Shippo's hand in hers. Kagome wasn't struggling to carry Rin as she had been with Shippo; although Rin looked healthy, Kagome suspected she only weighed seventy to seventy-five pounds.

Sesshomaru watched the exchange between the ningen, her son, and Rin with interest. He approved of her sword skills and found her adequate to protect Rin. He paused in his thinking and disagreed with himself; the ningen was nothing but a hazard and she was proving to be trying on his patience, but he was curious as to how Kagome had wielded the Tetsusaiga. He silently entered the clearing and Kagome jumped when he said, "Your son should not have allowed Rin to go this far into the forest."

Kagome tightened her hold on Shippo's hand and glared at Sesshomaru, but she said nothing. She began walking in the direction of camp and muttered, "Hiretsukan."

"Oh, the irony," he stated sarcastically.

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru with an astonished expression, but he had already left. She completely forgot about how she had used Tetsusaiga and followed after him.

XXX

Once Kagome had caught, cooked, and fed the children their dinner, she looked over at the silent Taiyoukai. He hadn't eaten anything, not that Kagome had expected him to. He had sat silently the entire time, watching Kagome and Jaken entertain the children while he brooded. Of course, Sesshomaru had nothing to worry about, but from Kagome's perspective, it looked like he was moping or thinking deeply about something. His eyes were closed, and Kagome wondered if maybe he was asleep or if he was just listening to their surroundings.

When Kagome had gone to catch the food, Sesshomaru had slipped away to wash the blood from his hair and clothes in a nearby stream. Upon his return, he looked like he hadn't been in a life-threatening battle the previous day but looked like one of the Kamis. A flash of her taking off Sesshomaru's haori flitted through Kagome's mind, and she blushed furiously. She couldn't stop thinking about how perfect his hair was and how his clothes fit perfectly over his toned body. She absentmindedly played with a loose string on her kimono while she pondered Sesshomaru.

**"**Stop staring, ningen," Sesshomaru's voice broke through her thoughts.

Kagome jolted out of her reverie and blinked. "Gomen nasai, Sesshomaru-sama."

Sesshomaru nodded while he watched Kagome continue to fidget with her kimono.

"What else would you like?" Sesshomaru sighed.

"Could I take Rin-chan and Shippo to a hot spring? We could all use a bath," Kagome asked, not making eye contact with the Taiyoukai.

Sesshomaru hesitated.

"You are welcome to join us," Kagome said quickly, interpreting Sesshomaru's hesitation as reluctance to allow Rin to be unprotected, "that way you can protect Rin-chan."

Sesshomaru said nothing as he glared off into the distance.

_So much like Inuyasha… _Kagome thought sadly. Her smile faltered as she quickly looked down at her hands while tears came to her eyes.

Sesshomaru looked back at the miko as the smell of salt permeated the air. He arched an eyebrow as if to inquire what she was crying about now. Kagome abruptly wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back up at Sesshomaru, plastering a fake smile on her face.

"I promise I'll bring Rin-chan safely back," she smiled then turned her attention to Shipp and Rin. "Come on; let's go before it gets too dark for us to see."

Rin excitedly dropped the flower crown she had been making for Shippo and raced over to Kagome. On the other hand, Shippo slowly walked towards his mother and came to stand beside her. Kagome took both of their hands in her own and allowed them to lead the way to the hot springs.

Kagome sighed as she and the children walked through the forest; there was a clear path before them, and following Shippo's sense of smell, they would soon find the hot springs.

_What was I thinking back there...,_ Kagome thought. _Why did I ask Sesshomaru to join us? Of course, he would never sink so low as to admit that he wants to protect Rin, but besides that reason, why did I ask him?_

Kagome's brow furrowed in confusion but shot up as she heard Rin squeal in excitement. "Kagome-sama, look! I can see the springs through the mist! It looks so pretty."

Kagome smiled as they came upon a rock-encircled spring with a canopy of trees to cover it. "It is very beautiful, Rin-chan. Do you need any help untying your obi?"

"Hai, Kagome-sama," Rin smiled.

Shippo scoffed and glared off into the distance. He couldn't believe his mother was helping Rin so much; she was perfectly capable of doing things by herself. Of course, he wouldn't admit that he was actually jealous that Kagome was paying attention to Rin instead of him. He was her son after all.

Kagome helped Rin out of her kimono and looked over at Shippo. He was already out of his kimono and stood in his breechcloth, which was an underwear-like garment that clung to the hips and effectively covered everything. He crossed his arms over his chest in agitation. He looked back at Kagome and then to Rin, but he quickly looked away as a blush began to spread across his cheeks.

Rin was in her hadajuban and susoyoke. Instead of the traditional white undergarment, Sesshomaru had given her green undergarments to match the floral pattern on her kimono; ones that wouldn't be see-through if she used them as her swimwear. Rin was very muscular for an eleven year old girl; all those years of walking with Sesshomaru had done her justice. When Rin was ready, she grabbed Shippo's hand and pulled him into the hot springs with her.

Kagome watched the two of them with a smile on her face as they splashed each other mercilessly. She removed the Tetsusaiga from her hip and placed it on the ground; she had only brought Tetsusaiga because it was better for close combat rather than her bow and arrows which were used for long distances. She took off what was left of her kimono, and underneath, she wore something very similar to Rin's undergarments. However, instead of being green, they were black with silver designs – like her kimono. Regularly, she would have her backpack which had several swimming garments that she would use instead, but due to the circumstances, she was left with her underwear.

Kagome picked up Shippo and Rin's kimonos and placed them with hers before walking to the springs. She eased herself into the warm water and sat on a small ledge that allowed her shoulders to be submerged as well. Kagome sighed in content and laid her head against the rock behind her. She watched as Shippo and Rin splashed and spat water at each other. When they had finally worn themselves out, they swam over to her and rested beside her.

"I am very happy that I got to see you again, Kagome-sama."

Kagome smiled and kissed the top of Rin's head. "I'm glad I got to see you as well, Rin-chan. Let's not wait this long to see each other again."

Rin nodded and gave Shippo a radiant smile.

Shippo blushed as he mumbled, "Thank you for bringing us here, hahaoya."

There was a pause and then Rin and Shippo tried to speak at once.

"Kagome-sama–"

"Hahaoya–"

Rin burst into laughter and Shippo smiled. Kagome frowned, not understanding what was going on.

Rin wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and innocently asked, "Kagome-sama, do you like Sesshomaru-sama?"

Kagome looked down at Shippo who smiled sheepishly back up at her. Kagome's frown deepened and wondered what the two had talked about when looking for flowers. She pondered her feelings for Sesshomaru; she always felt that she didn't have any form him. Maybe contempt or indifference, but beyond that, she really didn't know how she felt about him. "I don't not like him. He's tolerable…"

"No, Kagome-sama, do you _like_ Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Umm–" Kagome was cut off – to her relief – as an ear splitting crack sounded near the springs. A huge tree had fallen a little ways away, and after the dust and leaves had settled, a big, male, kuma youkai marched forward, stopping a few feet before the springs. Kagome hurriedly got out of the water and stood protectively in front of the children who cowered behind her as they remembered earlier events.

"You murdered my koishii," the youkai growled. "I will slaughter you and your children in revenge!"

Kagome didn't hesitate; she leapt out of the springs, and in midair, transformed. Her hair turned from its black to a flowing silver colour that rivalled Sesshomaru's. Claws and fangs were released from their dormancy within her skin, and her once chocolate brown eyes were now a vibrant red**. **She let out a feral snarl at the youkai as she landed softly in front of the youkai, while keeping a safe distance between the two of them.

"Interesting...," the youkai said in amusement. "An Inu-youkai."

Kagome watched the kuma youkai's every move as he slowly swayed back and forth, testing her reflexes.

"Such a nice body," he said seductively as he appraised her wet form, her undergarments clinging to her body and leaving almost nothing to the imagination. "It would be a shame to let a perfectly decent body go to waste. The little ningen and kitsune would be a great addition to my clan as well. We're always in need of whores and slaves."

"Leave and I will spare your life," Kagome growled with malice. If someone saw her, they would think she was a viscious animal.

The youkai laughed and grinned. "This will be fun."

Kagome lunged at the youkai. She channelled her miko powers into her hands and launched a pure ball of energy at him; she didn't expect him – having so much body mass – to have the agility to dodge the attack. She also didn't expect him to grab her by the throat and swipe his claws across her midsection. Luckily, she had manoeuvred herself so that her hip got most of the attack. As the kuma's claws pierced her skin, she shrieked in pain and collapsed against the kuma youkai.

XXX

Sesshomaru sat at camp, watching the small fire and listening to Jaken talk to Ah-Un. The ningen and the children had been gone for a period of time now; the rays of twilight were that last bit of light that shone. _How could that insufferable wench invite this Sesshomaru to bathe with her? Of all the undignified–_

His inner demon growled. _Ningen may be strange but she is kind to us__._

Sesshomaru scoffed and glared into the fire.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Hai, Jaken."

"Is something the matter?"

Sesshomaru ignored him, and Jaken gulped. Sesshomaru began to zone out again until he heard the scream. His ears twitched, and in a split second, he was gone from the clearing.

Sesshomaru flew past the trees and entered the sheltered vicinity where the hot springs resided. He saw Rin and Shippo in the springs; Shippo was holding Rin in a comforting embrace as she cried in fear. Shippo was well composed as he gently cooed to the girl, keeping a straight face the whole time, but Sesshomaru could see the quivering of his bottom lip. Sesshomaru frowned at the Kagome-less clearing.

He continued to scan the clearing for any traces of Kagome, but he only saw two youkai standing off to the side. One was a male kuma youkai; the other was a female Inu-youkai that was leaning against the kuma. The Inu-youkai wore strange garments that were foreign to him, and she was completely drenched in water, the garments clinging to her form in an immodest way. Her head was lowered as it rested against the Kuma's chest, and Sesshomaru could see the blood that now pooled around the female.

"You're too late!" the kuma youkai growled in triumph. "Your koishii is dead, and your pups are next."

Immediately, the female's head shot up, and she yelled, "You will not harm my pups!"

In one swift motion, the female grabbed the wrist of the hand that held her throat and twisted it. Instead of going against the motion, she went with the movement and bounded free of the kuma's grip, effectively breaking his wrist. The youkai growled, and the female grunted as more blood spilled from her extensive wound.

The kuma youkai lunged at her, but she leapt over him as he made a move to wrap his arms around her in a vice-like grip. As she softly landed behind him, he swung around to attack, but she quickly stabbed her claws into the kuma's eyes, rendering him blind. He swung at the female blindly, but she ducked and kicked out his legs from underneath him. Before the kuma had hit the ground, the female Inu-youkai had decapitated him.

The female glanced over at Rin and Shippo, and the love in her eyes for them confused Sesshomaru. Why was this female showing affection to children that aren't hers? The female rested a hand on her profusely bleeding hip and turned to Sesshomaru. Her eyes narrowed and she growled as she changed her stance to attack.

Sesshomaru growled in response and watched as her eyes flashed in recognition: he was the alpha male. The female bowed to Sesshomaru, brushing her hair away and exposing her neck to him. As she stood up, her eyes widened in pain, and she collapsed to her hands and knees. Her breathing was ragged and she held her side in pain. A shudder went down her spine as she fell unconscious.

"Hahaoya!" Shippo choked as he scrambled out of the springs. He ran to his mother and collapsed beside her. "You can't die! I've already lost two parents! I can't lose you too!"

Rin came up behind Shippo with tears in her eyes. She knelt behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as they both cried.

Sesshomaru stared blankly at the two forms surrounding the female. Sesshomaru couldn't hide the shock on his face when the silver-haired Inu-youkai began to transform into the black haired ningen.

_The ningen… is a youkai?_

* * *

A/N: So, I don't know if you noticed, but I kinda changed Kagome's appearance. I tried to picture her with red hair, and it just didn't work on her. Sorry it took me longer than I had said to update. Work was tiring and every night I'd work on this chapter then fall asleep on my laptop. I'm going to start working on Chapter Four right away. No promises that it'll be up tomorrow. I have some things I have to take care of tomorrow – one of my closest friends moved away and it's kind of taking a toll on me. I'm planning on making him a care package :P So, like I've said, I'm not changing the story line, but I am changing and adding details.

I'm trying to make Shippo seem older (hopefully that's coming across); however, when I was writing this chapter, I remembered, that in the anime, Shippo looks like he's six or seven... Epic fail on my part :P Oh well, too late now. We'll just go with it. I'm sure there are a lot of things I forgot to add or remove from this chapter, but I hope it worked out alright.

I'd like to thank all you peoples who reviewed and faved and alerted. My heart goes out to you, and I hope you really liked this chapter because I know I had a lot of fun writing it! Peace out ma homies XD LMAO

-FDS

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

_I am going to put the definitions of some things because I had no idea what half of them were, and I figured that if I didn't know what they were, there was a pretty good chance that you guys won't either :P Wikipedia definitions are directly taken from Wikipedia, and therefore, I don't own it unless it's in brackets (_). The Japanese translations are from an online translator – please don't hate me if the translations are wrong x.x I'm a fail; I know :P I will be adding to the definition/translations as the story progresses, so please check it out if you are confused._

**Wikipedia Definitions:**

**Iaido – **a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.

**Kendo – **a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu[2]. Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements. Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the _katana_.

**Jujutsu – **the art of using indirect force, such as joint locks or throwing techniques, to defeat an opponent, as opposed to direct force such as a punch or a kick. This is not to imply that jujutsu does not teach or employ strikes, but rather that the art's aim is the ability to use an attacker's force against him or her, and counter-attack where they are weakest or least defended.

**Hadajuban - **is a thin garment similar to an undershirt. (It is worn under the kimono/nagajuban).

**Susoyoke - **is a thin half-slip-like piece of underwear worn by women under the kimono/nagajuban.

**Japanese Translations:**

**Kuma –** bear

**Hahaoya –** mother

**Hiretsukan –** mean bastard, despicable person, sneak

**Koishii –** beloved / lover


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary: **

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or anyone in this story.

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts'_

**Past**

**Chapter 4**

Kagome's mind swirled in the dark abyss of the dream world as she remembered memories that had long since passed.

XXX

**A younger Kagome bounced excitedly in the backseat of her father's car as she watched the rain slide down the window. Kagome held a stuffed animal to her chest as she pointed out blurry objects that flashed by to the creature. Higurashi Suimaru, Kagome's father, smiled back at her in the rear-view mirror as he laughed.**

"**All right, your turn," Suimaru grinned.**

"**I spy with my little eye… something that is…white!" Kagome exclaimed.**

"**Hmmm… my shirt?"**

"**No!"**

"**The headlights?"**

"**No silly! You have to see it!"**

"**Fluffy?"**

"**Hai!" Kagome smiled a toothy grin as she held up the stuffed dog. "Your turn!"**

"**That's enough for one day," Suimaru chuckled after the seventh round of **_**I Spy**_**. "Did you have fun at your soccer game?"**

"**Hai, but I kept tripping over my shoes."**

"**That's alright," Suimaru smiled, "I'm sure you did amazing. I'm sorry I missed your game; work was busy and I had a lot of paperwork to do."**

"**That's okay." Kagome beamed up at her father as she turned in her seat to look out the side window. "And how was your day, Otosan?"**

"**It was busy. Lots of people were in and out of the office."**

**Kagome nodded happily. Suimaru was the co-owner of an illustrious company that was well known throughout all of Japan; the company was a historical industry that based its business around the Sengoku Jidai. It was Suimaru's job to research these historic places to find out their background. If there was anything, he was the one who had to do the paperwork for the government, declaring that the land was sacred to the heritage of the Japanese people. One of the places Suimaru had found was an old miko shrine with a legend of a hanyou that was pinned to the Goshinboku tree in the courtyard; it was said that the hanyou would never wake up until one day, a strange ningen with hidden miko powers released him from his slumber. Naturally, Suimaru and his wife had bought the place once Souta – Kagome's younger brother – was born.**

"**Are we home yet?" Kagome asked innocently as she pressed her face into the fur of her stuffed dog. It was a large animal with a blue crescent moon on its forehead and two magenta stripes on each cheek. Her father's employees had all pitched in to get it for her when she was born, and she treasured it. She knew that it wasn't the employees' idea to buy it for her, but it was the idea of the other co-owner. Kagome had never met him and didn't even know his name, but she loved that he cared enough about her to buy 'Fluffy' for her as a gift then let the others take credit for it.**

"**Hai. Almost there," Suimaru smiled.**

**Kagome grinned at her father but flinched as something hit the back window of their car. There was a low metallic clank, and she turned in her seat to see what had made the sound but found nothing.**

**Suimaru looked over his shoulder at Kagome and frowned. "Sit down properly, sweetie."**

"**Hai-" Kagome began to respond but an explosion cut her off. Her scream filled the air as she and her father were engulfed in flames.**

XXX

Kagome's eyes shot open and she bolted upright as a blood-curdling scream escaped her lips. She regretted it instantly as she gasped in pain and clutched her side. Shippo sat worriedly beside his mother and took her hand in his. Rin sat on Kagome's other side and her lower lip trembled in sadness and worry. Kagome blinked the sleep from her eyes as Shippo helped lower her back to the ground. She stared up at the shadowed trees above her and sighed.

"Hahaoya…" Shippo's voice cracked as he restrained the urge to burst into tears. "Are you alright?"

"Remember, Shipp. It is okasan. Hahaoya is too formal," Kagome smiled. She was still trying to recover from the shock of her nightmare and from the searing pain that she now felt up her side.

"Hai, okasan," Shippo replied, trying to smile back at his mother.

"Kagome-sama, are you okay?" Rin sobbed. "I was so worried when you wouldn't wake up; you've been unconscious for two days!"

Rin lowered her head to hide the tears, trying to be strong like Sesshomaru. Kagome reached up to Rin and brushed the tears from her eyes.

"I'm alright," Kagome smiled. "I'll just need some TLC."

"TLC?" Rin asked.

"Tender loving care," Kagome said as she used her free hand to hold Rin's.

"I can do that," Rin sniffled.

"I know you can," Kagome nodded as she squeezed Rin's hand. She looked to her left and saw Shippo glaring off into the distance again, and he had removed his hand from hers. "Shippo…" she began.

Shippo looked back at her with a pained expression. "I almost lost you… If you had died… I don't… I couldn't…," he whispered but cut himself off as his fists clenched in his lap.

Kagome sat up with the help of Rin and held her free arm out to Shippo. He hesitated and looked down at the ground.

Kagome frowned and whispered, "I would never leave you."

Shippo half-heartedly smiled and entered the arms of his mother. Kagome held Shippo close to her chest, and she could feel his small body shaking from silent sobs.

Rin yawned and Kagome chuckled. "Go to sleep, Rin-chan. We have a busy day ahead of us."

Ah-Un got up from its spot and lay down behind Kagome so that she could rest herself against him. She smiled gratefully back at him as Rin snuggled into her side and fell asleep instantly. Shippo also settled into Kagome's side but was careful not to cause her anymore pain. She began running her hands through his orange hair to soothe him as she had when he was younger, and he closed his eyes in content. It wasn't long after that Shippo fell asleep as well. Kagome smiled and took the opportunity to take in their surroundings.

They were in the same clearing where they had made camp a couple days previous, and she was surprised to see that little had changed. Jaken sat by the fire, poking it with his staff every few minutes. He looked up at Kagome and nodded to her, but he returned his attention to the fire before she could nod in return. Kagome scanned the clearing again but frowned. Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight, and it made Kagome a little uneasy in her weakened state. She could defend if she needed to, but she didn't know how long she would be able to withstand jarring attacks to her body. She sighed as she tried to come up with a tactic that would prove to be the most logical and ideal to protect the children but also effective injure her opponent. As she was going through methods on battle strategy, she gently removed Rin and Shippo from her body to alleviate the pressure on her side; the weight of the two children laying on her was causing her a severe amount of pain. She softly hummed to the sleeping children and the doragon youkai as she closed her eyes in content, unaware of the golden eyes glaring down at her.

XXX

Sesshomaru watched the woman brush Rin's hair away from her face and kiss the kitsune's forehead. He clearly remembered what had happened two days prior and he was still uncertain of what it meant.

**"You're too late!" the kuma youkai growled in triumph. "Your koishii is dead, and your pups are next."**

**Immediately, the female's head shot up, and she yelled, "You will not harm my pups!"**

**In one swift motion, the female grabbed the wrist of the hand that held her throat and twisted it. Instead of going against the motion, she went with the movement and bounded free of the kuma's grip, effectively breaking his wrist. The youkai growled, and the female grunted as more blood spilled from her extensive wound. **

**The kuma youkai lunged at her, but she leapt over him as he made a move to wrap his arms around her in a vice-like grip. As she softly landed behind him, he swung around to attack, but she quickly stabbed her claws into the kuma's eyes, rendering him blind. He swung at the female blindly, but she ducked and kicked out his legs from underneath him. Before the kuma had hit the ground, the female Inu-youkai had decapitated him. **

**The female glanced over at Rin and Shippo, and the love in her eyes for them confused Sesshomaru. Why was this female showing affection to children that aren't hers? The female rested a hand on her profusely bleeding hip and turned to Sesshomaru. Her eyes narrowed and she growled as she changed her stance to attack.**

**Sesshomaru growled in response and watched as her eyes flashed in recognition: he was the alpha male. The female bowed to Sesshomaru, brushing her hair away and exposing her neck to him. As she stood up, her eyes widened in pain, and she collapsed to her hands and knees. Her breathing was ragged and she held her side in pain. A shudder went down her spine as she fell unconscious.**

**"Hahaoya!" Shippo choked as he scrambled out of the springs. He ran to his mother and collapsed beside her. "You can't die! I've already lost two parents! I can't lose you too!"**

**Rin came up behind Shippo with tears in her eyes. She knelt behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as they both cried.**

**Sesshomaru stared blankly at the two forms surrounding the female. Sesshomaru couldn't hide the shock on his face when the silver-haired Inu-youkai began to transform into the black haired ningen.**

Sesshomaru admitted that he couldn't think of any logical explanation that would cause the ningen to transform into youkai. She proved that she was an adequate guardian for Rin many times, and he entertained the thought of allowing Rin to go with the ningen. Rin was reaching the age of young adulthood, and there were a lot of things that she would need to know before that transpired, and he wasn't a logical choice to tell her those things. The ningen seemed like a satisfactory choice to do this, but after the revelation that the ningen may be a youkai, Sesshomaru was no longer sure if she was a suitable guardian for Rin. There was also the matter that Rin would never willingly leave his side. He sighed and glared down at the ningen that may or may not be a youkai. He jumped from his post in the tree and landed gracefully below, keeping the fire between himself and the ningen.

Startled, Kagome placed a hand over her chest to calm her heart rate. She immediately regretted it as the sudden movement jostled her wound. She glared at Sesshomaru and his well-composed expression.

She folded her hands in her lap and muttered, "You scared me."

Sesshomaru glared at her, and she readily returned it with an icy glare of her own.

"What?" she spat. "What is your problem with me now!"

"This Sesshomaru did not know that you were a bitch," he stated with a finely raised eyebrow.

Kagome gawked as she spluttered, "Excuse me?"

Sesshomaru glared at her. "You are an Inu-youkai."

Shippo raised his head and looked up at his mother. "Sesshomaru-sama is right. You transformed into a youkai. It was almost as if your instincts completely took over."

Kagome looked questioningly down at Shippo. "I thought you were asleep."

Shippo grinned sheepishly up at her, and she could not stay mad at him for long.

"I don't remember that happening..." she said slowly. "The last thing I remember is the kuma youkai entering the clearing and me standing up to defend you and Rin."

"I think your instincts completely took over without you consciously knowing about it. That's probably why you don't remember."

"It is irrelevant whether you remember or not. The fact of the matter is that you transformed into a youkai," Sesshomaru stated coldly.

She looked back at Sesshomaru and frowned. "I became a youkai…," she stated, testing the words on her tongue.

Sesshomaru simply nodded.

Rin sighed and rolled over so that her head rested on Kagome's leg. She inhaled deeply and pressed her face into Kagome's leg as she fell into a deeper sleep. Kagome smiled and stroked Rin's hair, contemplating this new information.

"How is that possible? For all I know, my parents were ningen," she frowned. "However, the doctors didn't understand how I had survived."

"Survived?" Shippo asked nervously.

"Hai," Kagome nodded. "My otosan and I were in a very bad accident when I was very small. You remember what I told you about cars, right?"

Shippo nodded, but Sesshomaru's brow creased in confusion.

"Where I come from, cars are a faster way for ningens to travel. How do I explain this? Cars are big metal machine's that run on the natural resources of the earth. They are efficient in ways that walking is not, but they can sometimes be dangerous when travelling in. Actually, they're a lot like a horse and buggy, but cars have their own way of propelling themselves forward rather than using the strength of an animal."

Sesshomaru nodded slowly as he took in the newly discovered knowledge.

"Does that kind of give you an idea?"

Sesshomaru did not answer so Kagome continued.

"We were on our way home," she said sadly. "I was really happy because I was getting the time to spend with my otosan. He had picked me up after my soccer game, and we were playing a game of _I Spy_. I can remember all of the details. The smell of peppermint on the seats. Otosan's laughter. My stuffed dog."

Shippo watched his mom and could see the pain etched into her features.

"It all happened so fast," Kagome continued. "There was a gang in town that would throw lit fireworks at passing cars, and unfortunately, we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Something hit the back window, and I turned to see what it was. I couldn't see what was there, but a few seconds later, the car exploded. It wouldn't have been that bad, but otosan was taking a propane tank to be repaired because its case was damaged. Propane is very flammable and explosive, and the blasts from the fireworks were exposed to the propane. I was thrown from the car because I wasn't wearing my seatbelt, but otosan was wearing his. Once I was ejected from the seat, there was another explosion inside the car. The doctors said I was really lucky that I had only obtained a few burns, cuts and bruises; I was supposed to die."

Sesshomaru watched in interest as Shippo cuddled against his mother.

"I have a scar on my back from the accident, but it's like nothing I've ever seen before. It doesn't look like a scar from a cut or a burn, but it wasn't there before the accident. It looks like a tattoo, but I've never gotten one in my life. So being injured from the accident is the only explanation."

Kagome gently laid Rin beside her so that she could turn, lower her hadajuban, and show Shippo and Sesshomaru her back. There was an intricate design of black lines that looped and coiled on her back; they didn't have a specific pattern to the lines, but it was as if they were caging her in. It definitely didn't look like any type of burn Sesshomaru or Shippo had seen, but Sesshomaru did recognize what it could be.

"I've seen markings like these before," Sesshomaru stated.

"Where?" Kagome whispered as she pulled her hadajuban back over her shoulders and turned back to Sesshomaru.

"There are similar markings in the Eastern Lands. Those marks are the emblem of the noble family; only the Daimyo and his family carry marks like that," Sesshomaru said thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is just coincidence, but those symbols have immense meaning to the Eastern Lands. It would be wise to investigate and ask the Daimyo some questions."

"Hai...,"Kagome replied.

"What happened to your otosan?" Shippo asked sadly.

Kagome sighed as she bit her lip. "I don't know. Supposedly, my otosan was incinerated on impact, but if I am a youkai and he was a youkai, there might be a possibility that he is still alive."

Sesshomaru looked at her sullen expression and deliberated her story; it was a strange account, of course, but something didn't add up, and he couldn't put his finger on it. He came to a conclusion and verbalized it to Kagome.

"This Sesshomaru believes that the similarity of the marks on your back and the marks in the East is not an accident. Youkai live for hundreds of thousands of years; it is possible that your otosan is alive and well in this era."

"I don't know…" Kagome muttered sceptically.

"What was his name?"

"Higurashi, Suimaru," Shippo said matter-of-factly.

Kagome smiled at her son and kissed his forehead.

"Indeed. The Daimyo of the East is named Suimaru; however his family name is not Higurashi."

"Seriously?" Kagome asked and Sesshomaru nodded. "Can we leave now? I must see him."

Shippo frowned. "Okasan, your injuries are still severe. Putting too much strain on your wound would be a bad idea."

"I'm fine," she reassured.

"The kitsune is right; you may on occasion transform into a youkai, but at this point, you do not have a youkai's healing ability."

Kagome's face fell as she glared at Sesshomaru. "I'm perfectly fine," she grumbled.

Ignoring her, Sesshomaru looked to Jaken and said, "Jaken, check the ningen's wounds."

"Hai, Sesshomaru-sama, but my hands are not clean enough. I do not wish to give Kagome-sama an infection."

Sesshomaru glared at the hikigaeru youkai as he walked towards Kagome. "Let this Sesshomaru check your wounds, ningen."

Kagome glared at him but said nothing. She rolled onto her uninjured side and allowed Sesshomaru to move her hadajuban and susoyoke to expose her bandaged side but nothing else; Kagome was surprised that he was being so modest. She blushed as a chill ran down her spine when Sesshomaru's claws touched her; she wasn't ticklish, but it was hard for her to hold back the girlish giggle that wanted to bubble up.

Sesshomaru checked her wounds and re-bandaged them with fresh supplies. He ignored the discomfort he knew Kagome was feeling so that it wouldn't increase his own discomfort. When he was done, he adjusted her hadajuban and susoyoke back into place and stood.

Kagome rolled back onto her back and looked up at Sesshomaru. "Thank you."

Sesshomaru nodded.

Kagome sat up and looked around. "Where is my kimono and hakamas? Or what's left of them."

"This Sesshomaru took the liberty of allowing Jaken to wash it."

Kagome blushed profusely and glanced over at the hikigaeru youkai. He did not seem to be phased by this knowledge, which was a relief to Kagome. She decided that she was done letting everyone see her in her undergarments as she placed a hand on Ah-Un's back to help herself up. She clutched one hand to her head in an attempt to stop the spinning and Shippo caught her elbow as she began to sway. After a few moments, she started forward without the help of Shippo, but her eyes widened in pain as she grabbed her side, hoping the pressure would ease the pain. When it didn't, the world began to spin and she plummeted to the ground. Before Shippo could cry out, Sesshomaru had caught her and held her to him.

"Ugh…" Kagome moaned.

"You still have not fully recovered the blood you have lost," Sesshomaru stated as if this was a known fact.

Kagome smiled and placed her hand on Sesshomaru's face. "Thank you. For everything."

As if coming out of a trance, Kagome froze and let her hand drop. She was only in her undergarments, and she was very close to a certain male Taiyoukai. She blushed furiously and laughed nervously.

"Shippo, can you get my clothes."

Shippo nodded and quickly got his mother's kimono just as she stepped out of Sesshomaru's arms. He handed the kimono to his mother and helped her wrap the remnants of her clothes on her body.

"Thanks, Shippo," she muttered, looking at the ground as the blush grew.

Sesshomaru watched, bemused, and returned his attention to the waking Rin.

Rin yawned and stretched her small limbs. Kagome knelt beside Rin and brushed hair from her face as Shippo stood behind Kagome. Rin smiled up at them and asked, "Did I miss anything?"

A/N: Hey guys, I've had some questions about where Kikyo went since she just kind of left Kagome in that clearing in the first chapter. Well, I don't have an official reason to be honest; I just wanted her out of the picture :P But, since Kagome wasn't injured badly, I'm going to assume that Kikyo knew that –even in his weakened state – Sesshomaru would protect her. Or maybe Kikyo had more dire business elsewhere since Kagome was only unconscious and there was a burning village elsewhere or something. I dunno. Even though Kikyo loves Kagome like her sister, she always puts her work first or something :P. I'm pretty sure I'll have a guest appearance from Kikyo later on in the story, but we'll see how things go.

Hope you like it. I spent all day working on it for you guys instead of making my friend a care package; I apparently had no motivation.

I have to work tomorrow so no updates unfortunately, but please review and tell me what you think. Sorry for any errors. Near the end of this chapter, I was starting to fall asleep so there may be a few mistakes.

Love ya guys!

-FDS

**PLEASE REVIEW! ;D**

_I am going to put the definitions of some things because I had no idea what half of them were, and I figured that if I didn't know what they were, there was a pretty good chance that you guys won't either :P Wikipedia definitions are directly taken from Wikipedia, and therefore, I don't own it unless it's in brackets (_). The Japanese translations are from an online translator – please don't hate me if the translations are wrong x.x I'm a fail; I know :P I will be adding to the definition/translations as the story progresses, so please check it out if you are confused._

**Wikipedia Definitions:**

**Iaido – **a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.

**Kendo – **a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu. Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements. Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the _katana_.

**Jujutsu – **the art of using indirect force, such as joint locks or throwing techniques, to defeat an opponent, as opposed to direct force such as a punch or a kick. This is not to imply that jujutsu does not teach or employ strikes, but rather that the art's aim is the ability to use an attacker's force against him or her, and counter-attack where they are weakest or least defended.

**Hadajuban - **is a thin garment similar to an undershirt. (It is worn under the kimono/nagajuban).

**Susoyoke - **is a thin half-slip-like piece of underwear worn by women under the kimono/nagajuban.

**Daimyo - **a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lord in premodern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings.

**Japanese Translations:**

**Kuma –** bear

**Hahaoya –** mother

**Hiretsukan –** mean bastard, despicable person, sneak

**Koishii –** beloved / lover

**Otosan – **father

**Okasan - **mother


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary: **

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or anyone in this story.

"Speaking"

'_Thoughts'_

**Chapter 5**

Kagome had slept through the rest of the night and well into the morning of the next day. She could now be seen poking her finger at a Taiyoukai's chest as he glared down at her with disdain. Shippo and Rin covered their ears as Kagome shouted at Sesshomaru. They glanced at each other and frowned. Kagome was on the mend; she was nowhere near being fully healed, but her injuries were healing nicely and she could comfortably move without a lot of pain. This was the reason for her argument with Sesshomaru; she believed that she was capable of mobility and, by extension, to travel to see her father. Sesshomaru thought otherwise.

"You promised you would take me to my otosan!" Kagome yelled as she persistently poked Sesshomaru's chest.

Sesshomaru's ears twitched irritably and he glared down at the fuming miko. "You will refrain from using that tone in this Sesshomaru's presence."

Kagome's face flushed in anger as she shouted, "Hiretsukan!"

Jaken solemnly watched the two frustratingly yell at each other, or at least as Kagome yelled and Sesshomaru glared. They had been at it for longer than need be, and Jaken could feel the beginning of a headache. He looked up at Ah-Un, who also seemed to be irritated by the noise, and patted Ah-Un's leg.

"This Sesshomaru promised no such thing; this Sesshomaru only advised that you wait until your wounds are healed before you begin your journey."

"Well, if you won't take me and if I'm such a burden, it would be in our best interest if we went our separate ways," Kagome said quietly as she began to contain her temper.

"It would not displease this Sesshomaru."

Kagome's eyes widened then narrowed into lethal slits. Whatever lid she had managed to place over her anger had blown off with the force of her anger and humiliation. She growled as she got even closer to the Taiyoukai. She raised herself on her tip-toes and cocked her head to the side, looking up at the stoic youkai. "If I displease you, you should have let me die, _Sesshomaru-sama_."

Sesshomaru didn't answer as Kagome stepped back and turned to Shippo.

Shippo shrunk back at his mother's intimidating stance and asked, "Hai, okasan?"

"Say goodbye to Rin-chan. We are leaving."

"Hai," he said carefully. "Goodbye Rin-chan, Jaken-san" – he paused as he looked up at Sesshomaru – "and Sesshomaru-sama."

Kagome nodded stiffly to her son and walked over to Rin. "Goodbye Rin-chan. I hope to see you again sometime."

"H-hai, Kagome-sama." Rin quickly hugged Kagome and stepped back.

Kagome nodded to Jaken and Ah-Un, but she ignored Sesshomaru. She took Shippo's hand, turned on her heel, and without a word, disappeared into the forest.

"Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru didn't answer Rin, so she continued.

"I believe that Kagome-sama is in no shape to be wandering the forest alone. She could get injured in her weakened state."

"Jaken."

"Hai, milord," Jaken replied.

"Watch Rin."

"Hai."

Sesshomaru gracefully swept from the clearing, leaving Jaken and Rin to watch his retreating form.

XXX

"Okasan, we shouldn't be out here. You were badly injured; you could reopen your wounds."

"I know, Shippo, but I need to find my otosan. If it is him…" Kagome trailed off.

"I understand. If my otosan was still alive after I believed him to be dead, I would want to know too, but you are still injured. And, I can still smell the blood from your wounds; I don't want a youkai to come attack you while you're still weak."

Kagome smiled down at Shippo. "I'll be fine Shippo. I promise."

They continued walking in silence until Kagome stopped and looked at their surroundings. "So… do you have any idea where we are? Or which way is to the Eastern Lands?"

Shippo folded his arms and grinned. "No idea."

She laughed and ruffled his hair as she leaned against a tree. Kagome breathed heavily as she clutched her side and winced in pain.

"Okasan, are you alright?"

"Yeah," Kagome hissed through her teeth. "Just give me a second to catch my breath. I think, I may have overdone it a little this time, what do you think?"

Shippo could see the taint of fresh blood seeping through her tattered – and already blood-stained – kimono. He glared down at his feet then off into the distance. He mentally chastised himself for not noticing earlier and for allowing his mother even leave Sesshomaru's protection while she was in so much pain. After a couple minutes of silence, Shippo frowned and looked up at his mother. "Okasan?"

"Hmm?" came Kagome's response. She was resting her head against the tree and her eyes were closed. Her breathing was relatively normal and, for that, Shippo was thankful.

"We should stop and get you another kimono. I don't want you to be reprimanded for your kindness."

"Hai," she said softly, not opening her eyes. "If we come across a village before nightfall, I will stop to get a new one."

It was Shippo's turn to laugh, and Kagome cracked open an eye so that she could look down at him with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you recognise where we are?"

Kagome shook her head, confusion still on her face as she stood upright and took Shippo's hand. He began to lead her down the small dirt path, and he was shocked that his mother still had not recognized their surroundings.

"We're in Inuyasha Mori," Shippo laughed as Kagome's face was still etched with confusion.

Kagome's features instantly lit up at the realization of their location. She couldn't believe that she would be in a familiar place; a place where she would be welcomed by old friends and not enquired about her state of dress."That's perfect. I'm sure Kaede-sama will be happy to see you."

Shippo nodded. He was happy that his mother didn't seem to be too upset about the whole ordeal with Sesshomaru. He knew that Kagome had always been one to care about others before herself, and the only thing he knew that she wanted – and would ask for – was to see her father again.

Unaware of her son's musings, Kagome sighed in content at the knowledge of being somewhere familiar. For most of her life, she had travelled to places unknown to present day Japan, and it made her giddy to know that she would see a familiar face.

"Okasan, there's the Goshinboku." Shippo pointed off in the distance, and Kagome had to squint to see it.

Kagome smiled and giggled. "We'll be home soon."

XXX

The child groaned as Kaede from the small boy to his mother. "He will be fine. But, ye must give him warm tea for his throat."

"Thank you so much, Kaede-sama," the mother bowed to Kaede as she removed the cloth from her son's forehead.

"If ye need me…"

"Of course, Kaede-sama."

Kaede nodded and walked out of the fuseya, the flap floating in the wind as she passed. She raised her arms, stretching the sore muscles in her back and wishing, not for the first time, that Kagome was there to give her a nice back rub.

Kaede frowned at that. Kagome, Shippo, Inuyasha, and Kikyo had started their journey more than two weeks prior. If Inuyasha and Kikyo would not come back, Kaede knew that Kagome would find some way to return, even if it were for a short time. Kaede just wished that she would see them soon. She considered Kagome her daughter and Shippo her grandson; they were the children she never had and would never have.

"Kaede-sama!"

Kaede looked up to see one of the village's noumin run down the steep hill from the grain fields towards her.

"Kagome-sama and Shippo-kun have returned!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Kaede could hear the murmur of excitement from the people that stepped outside of their fuseyas to determine the cause of the commotion. The looks on peoples' faces reminded Kaede of the time when her older sister, Kikyo, was the Shikon no Miko, but that responsibility now resided with Kagome.

"If she needs me, tell her that I am in my fuseya," Kaede said as she waved her hand in dismissal.

"Of course," the man bowed deeply to Kaede.

Kaede turned down the street and walked as swift as her legs could carry her so that she could prepare some tea for herself and her visitors.

XXX

Kagome watched as Shippo raced down the hill that lead to the past's version of Tokyo; she would have been running with him, but the pain in her side had increased since the forest. It was almost so painful that she couldn't walk. Once Edo had come into view, she had relaxed and allowed herself the luxury of walking at a slow pace while watching Shippo. Shippo came bounding back to her, already alerting one of the grain noumin at the bottom of the hill to their arrival. She couldn't help the excited laughter that emitted from her throat, and she was surprised that Shippo laughed with her.

"We're home!" Kagome chorused in a melodic voice. She took Shippo's hand in hers as they approached the outskirts of Edo.

A crowd of villagers waited for them, and to Kagome, it had the atmosphere as if they were welcoming a samurai home from a won war.

"Welcome back, Kagome-sama, Shippo-kun!"

"How was your journey, miko-sama?"

Kagome came to a halt in front of them and smiled, holding her side slightly to ease the throbbing pain. "Thank you so much! It's good to be home."

A noumin came to the front of the crowd and bowed deeply to Kagome and Shippo. "Kaede-sama has been informed of your return and awaits you in her fuseya."

"Hai, but is there a ma-chanto selling kimonos?" Kagome asked sheepishly as she suddenly became self-conscious of her appearance.

The crowd then took in their miko, and they were astounded with her apparel. Some people came to the conclusion that she had been attacked by a youkai or, the unthinkable, that she had been raped. None of them would vocalize their theories in respect for the miko, but it would not stop their curiousity from getting the best of them.

The noumin bowed once again. "Miko-sama, beg my pardon, but might I ask what has happened?"

_So much for not being questioned in my own village… They're never going to believe me, and if they do, they're going to be questioning my sanity,_ Kagome mentally sighed.

"I used pieces of my kimono to staunch a Taiyoukai from bleeding to death," Kagome informed the crowd.

Some people gasped at the audacity of a miko helping a youkai, but the others, who had known about the friendship between Kagome and Inuyasha, looked on in admiration.

"That was very kind of you miko-sama," the noumin bowed yet again.

Kagome shook her head at the honorific, and the man understood.

"Which Taiyoukai did you assist?" the man asked.

Kagome bit her lip, considering if she should tell the villagers. If she did, she could be faced with the wrath of Sesshomaru's ego and the tip of Tokijin. If she didn't, she could be faced with curious, dirty-minded villagers. "I don't believe that he would take to me telling you his name. After all, youkai have a sense of pride and dignity, and it would be very offensive if word got out about a miko helping a youkai."

"Of course, miko-sama. I meant no offence."

"I know." Kagome smiled and patted Shippo's head. "Now, where is the ma-chanto?"

The crowd parted for Kagome and a street-filled with merchant booths came into view.

"Wow," Kagome whispered. The small village was becoming larger every time she came back, and she was very impressed with the progress of Edo.

"Okasan, there's one." Shippo pointed to a booth to her left that was covered in rich fabrics of softness and strength.

The elderly man working the booth bowed to Kagome. "How may I be of service, miko-sama?"

Shippo held in a chuckle. He knew how much Kagome hated the honorific that so many people seemed to give her, but being the miko who helped defeat Naraku, she was worshiped like a god in the small town. No matter what they called her, it would not erase the respect everyone had for her, but they did prefer 'miko-sama' to show a great amount of admiration to her and to show that she is of a higher class than themselves.

"Hai. I am looking for a kimono," Kagome smiled politely.

"Well, I have the perfect miko's kimono-"

"That will be perfect," Kagome assured. "I would also like three other recreational kimonos. Preferably in red, blue, and black. And, some hadajubans and nagajubans, please."

The ma-chanto looked at Kagome confusedly but did not object. "Let's see… we have a green one… a red one… a black one-"

"Could I see the black one?"

The ma-chanto frowned but nodded. He turned around and rummaged through a basket full of kimonos. At last, he pulled out a black one.

Kagome almost laughed. It was such a pretty kimono; it reminded her of her torn kimono. There was a silver design of cherry blossoms that went up the sleeve of the kimono. It was so beautiful, it almost made her giddy. "It's perfect," Kagome smiled.

He nodded and went back to rummaging in his basket for a red and blue kimono. "Ah ha!" he exclaimed. He pulled out a dark blue kimono and a rich red kimono like Inuyasha's, and Kagome's eyes sparkled as he continued to look.

"I hope this acceptable for you, miko-sama," he said as he pulled out the undergarments for her as well.

"Hai. They're beautiful." She thought about buying another combat suit like Sango's but remembered she had a perfectly suitable one at Kaede's.

"Is that all, miko-sama?"

Kagome shook her head. "No. I need two kimonos for my son, two haori, four obi, and several hadajuban and nagajuban."

"Hai, hai."

"Okasan, you didn't have to do that," Shippo complained as the ma-chanto gathered the previsions Kagome sought.

"Of course I did," Kagome frowned. "You're my son, and I want you to be prepared for whatever is going to happen once we leave."

Shippo nodded uncertainly. "But, won't it cost a lot?"

"Hai… but that does not matter."

"Here you go," the ma-chanto said, handing Kagome a huge bundle of kimonos, haori, obi, hadajuban and nagajuban.

Kagome nodded and put her hand in her tamoto, pulling out a small change purse. "How much do I owe you?"

The ma-chanto looked offended. "It is on the house, miko-sama. I wish to aid you in any way possible."

Kagome smiled brightly to the man and reached her free arm out to embrace him. "Arigatou! I can't explain how much we appreciate this. I will make it up to you!"

"Arigatou, miko-sama, but it is not necessary. I do this because I want to. Not because I have to," the ma-chanto praised.

Kagome waved and bowed feverishly to the man. She took Shippo's hand as her other arm was full with clothing. "Now let's go say hi to Kaede-sama, Shippo."

"Hai."

Kagome and Shippo walked down the street towards Kaede's fuseya, unaware of the golden orbs watching their every move.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've been so busy with work and then I had a tubing accident so the whole left side of my body was in a lot of pain. I'm on the mend now though; so I'm not in as much pain. If you've read the old version to my story, you probably noticed that this version isn't that different compared to the original.

I know it's a short chapter compared to the other ones. I hope to start rewriting the next chapter soon; it doesn't look like it needs that much work, but then again, who knows. I don't know when I'll have to the next chapter up; I work almost every day next week, but I'll try my best.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter – I know, it's more of just a filler chapter; not a lot of action. Next chapter you'll be getting some new info on how everything is going to tie together (in theory) so hope you like it.

Peace out!

-FDS

**PLEASE REVIEW! ;D**

_I am going to put the definitions of some things because I had no idea what half of them were, and I figured that if I didn't know what they were, there was a pretty good chance that you guys won't either :P Wikipedia definitions are directly taken from Wikipedia, and therefore, I don't own it unless it's in brackets (_). The Japanese translations are from an online translator – please don't hate me if the translations are wrong x.x I'm a fail; I know :P I will be adding to the definition/translations as the story progresses, so please check it out if you are confused._

**Wikipedia Definitions:**

**Iaido – **a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.

**Kendo – **a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu. Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements. Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the _katana_.

**Jujutsu – **the art of using indirect force, such as joint locks or throwing techniques, to defeat an opponent, as opposed to direct force such as a punch or a kick. This is not to imply that jujutsu does not teach or employ strikes, but rather that the art's aim is the ability to use an attacker's force against him or her, and counter-attack where they are weakest or least defended.

**Hadajuban - **is a thin garment similar to an undershirt. (It is worn under the kimono/nagajuban).

**Susoyoke - **is a thin half-slip-like piece of underwear worn by women under the kimono/nagajuban.

**Daimyo - **a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lord in premodern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings.

**Japanese Translations:**

**Kuma –** bear

**Hahaoya –** mother

**Hiretsukan –** mean bastard, despicable person, sneak

**Koishii –** beloved / lover

**Otosan – **father

**Okasan – **mother

**Noumin – **farmer

**Fuseya – **hut

**Ma-chanto - **merchant


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary: **

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or anyone in this story.

"Speaking"

_Thoughts_

**Chapter 6**

Kaede hummed softly to herself as she stoked the small fire in her fuseya that warmed the kettle of herbal tea. She could feel Kagome's spiritual power and Shippo's youki as she poured hot tea into two saucers. As she placed the saucers to the side, the two entities came to reside before her home, and she waited patiently for them to enter. There was a long pause as the entities remained outside and made no attempt to enter; Kaede could sense the tangible apprehension that was rolling off of Kagome in waves. She could not fathom the childish antics being shown by Kagome, but she rolled her eyes and poured herself a cup of tea as well.

"Come in already," she said exasperatedly. "I want to hear everything."

Kagome hesitantly pulled the flap back, allowing Shippo in before her. She grinned sheepishly as the flap swayed back into its place, and she dropped the bundle of kimonos on the floor. Walking over to Kaede, Kagome bent down to the kneeling woman and embraced her with the ferocity of a child who longed for the reuniting of her family."Konichiwa, Kaede-sama. We have missed you so much."

"As have I, Kagome-chan," Kaede replied, hugging the petite women. "Come. Sit. I've made tea for ye."

Kagome straightened and made a curt bow to Kaede as she cautiously sat down beside the fire, accepting the tea that had been placed before her. She watched Kaede's reaction to see if she had noticed her injury, but Kagome was relieved to see that Kaede's focus was on Shippo. She glanced back at Shippo who stood rigidly off to the side; she smiled encouragingly at him and nodded towards Kaede.

"Baa-chan, it is good to see that you are doing well," Shippo bowed deeply, and Kagome was proud that Shippo was learning formality.

After Naraku's defeat, Shippo had changed. Not physically, but emotionally. He had matured greatly and seldom acted childish. He was always calculating every move made by him and others, wondering who was friend or foe – ally or enemy. In retrospect, it would seem that Shippo was just a small kitsune coming into adulthood, but to Kagome, she feared that there was another reason for the drastic change in her fun-loving son to the stoic, young adult she knew. In the back of her mind, Kagome tried to recall the exact events of what had happened on the day Naraku was overpowered, but all she saw were flashes of a battle she knew had been won. She would never directly ask Shippo what had happened, but she was worried as to what had been so severe that had the ability to transform her son.

Bringing Kagome out of her thoughts, Kaede smiled fondly at Shippo. "Why the formality, child?"

Shippo straightened and spoke softly, "Okasan believes that respect for elders and nobles is required to establish good relationships with others."

Kaede throatily laughed and held out her hands to Shippo. "Hai, she would know what she's talking about."

Kagome smiled warmly and nodded again for Shippo to approach Kaede. He hesitantly stepped forward and allowed Kaede to take his hands in hers.

"Well, look at ye!" Kaede exclaimed in a warm tone. "Ye've grown right before my eyes. Thirteen in human years?"

"Hai, baa-chan," Shippo said quietly.

"Ye've grown since the last I saw ye. To think, I only saw ye two weeks ago; ye must have grown while ye were away!"

"Hai, Kaede-sama," Kagome nodded. "I believe he is going through a growth spurt. At the rate he's going, I would not be surprised if he was as tall as me this time next year."

Kaede smiled. "Hai. Kitsune's do grow fast."

"Not too fast I hope!" Kagome laughed, completely forgetting her earlier musings.

Kaede grinned over at Kagome and patted the floor. "Sit down, Shippo. Would ye like some tea?"

Shippo sat quietly and shook his head. "Kekkou desu."

Kaede shrugged.

"Kaede-sama, I was wondering if you still have the backpack I left here, in case I needed another one," Kagome inquired.

"Of course, of course." Kaede disappeared from the room and reappeared with the bag. "This would be it, ne?"

"Hai. I lost my other one in the forest."

"Interesting… speaking of which, what happened to ye kimono?" Kaede asked, giving Kagome the bag and taking in her tattered appearance.

Kagome kept her eyes fixed on her bag as she put the newly acquired clothing into it. "It's hard to explain."

Shippo frowned at his mother, helping Kaede sit down then sitting himself down beside Kagome. "Inuyasha attacked okasan."

Kaede sucked in a breath of air and bit her lip, waiting to hear the rest.

"Sesshomaru-sama had originally been Inuyasha's opponent, but once Inuyasha and the Tetsusaiga were separated, he turned his attentions to okasan rather than Sesshomaru-sama," Shippo sighed. "I am grateful that Sesshomaru-sama was able to protect okasan when I could not."

Shippo fisted his hands in his lap and stared intently into the fire. Kagome whispered reassuringly that it was inevitable and she was just glad that he was not harmed. "Sesshomaru killed Inuyasha," Shippo stated.

Kaede blanched and stared open-mouthed at Shippo.

"Sesshomaru-sama saved our lives, Kaede-sama," Kagome tried to reason with the judging look that was seen in Kaede's eyes. "But, after the battle, Sesshomaru-sama was gravely injured. To the point where he allowed me to assist healing him. I have not yet mastered my healing capabilities with spiritual power, but I did clean his wounds and staunch the bleeding long enough for him to heal."

Shippo nodded. "Okasan used the majority of her kimono to save Sesshomaru-sama. Whether or not he actually needed saving is another matter. However, after some other unimportant events, okasan was temporarily transformed into a youkai."

Kagome was shocked at how stoic her son was being and again felt that something was slightly amiss.

Kaede sat there silently for several moments and folded her hands in her lap. "So, Inuyasha is dead."

It wasn't a question or a statement but more of an acknowledgement of the event.

Shippo nodded as it was Kagome's turn to stare intently into the fire.

"And, ye helped Sesshomaru-sama? Taiyoukai of the West?"

"Hai," Kagome whispered, unsure of the monotone in Kaede's voice.

"And, Kagome-chan, ye turned into a youkai?"

"Hai."

Kaede sighed and ran a hand through her grey hair. She closed her eyes and said, "Ye need not hide, Sesshomaru-sama."

Kagome's eyes widened, not realizing that she could, in fact, sense the Taiyoukai. She chastised herself for not noticing sooner, but once again she was so wrapped up in the now, she didn't even think of scanning her surroundings for potential threats. Another thought came to Kagome. Sesshomaru would not so easily allow his presence to be known, which meant he _wanted_ his presence to be known.

She turned slowly to the door as Sesshomaru strode into the fuseya. He nodded once to Kaede and didn't spare her or Shippo a glance as he sat against the farthest possible wall from the three of them. With a disinterested look, he turned his head to observe the world outside of the fuseya that was slowly being surrounded by twilight. Kaede motioned to the tea, but Sesshomaru remained stoic and silent.

Kagome glared at Sesshomaru as she leaned forward slightly, placing her elbows on her knees. "Kaede-sama, is it possible that my otosan is a youkai?"

Kaede's brow creased. "It is possible…. I do not believe that is the case. It is said that mikos acquire an affinity for the elements of the world. Earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. But, some mikos have been said to specialize in other things…"

"Like what?" Shippo questioned, just as engrossed in Kaede's words as Kagome and Sesshomaru – not that Sesshomaru would indulge in allowing them to know about his curiosity.

Kaede shrugged. "No one knows. These abilities are special and unique to a single individual; there are no two identical abilities. They can be as subtle as a person's capability to love or as apparent as being able to fly. However, I do know that there are some abilities that can cause transformations in the physical appearance of humans. Midoriko-sama was one of the few well-known mikos who had specialized in an ability. Her purity was her focal point. It was her greatest strength and greatest weakness."

"What do you mean, Kaede-sama?" Kagome asked, intrigued with this new knowledge.

"Midoriko-sama used her purity to protect ningens from youkai. She became such a formidable foe that youkai sought to destroy her, and it eventually lead to her downfall. All mikos are taught to place ningen race before youkai society and to do whatever it takes to uphold that ideology. However, Midoriko-sama was the only one who could truly live up to that. She had no compassion for youkai or hanyou alike – kill or be killed. Although mikos have purity, it is not to the extent of hers; everyone –except for Midoriko-sama – is tainted with slight compassion towards other species. Whether it is shown or not is another matter entirely."

"I don't understand what this has to do with me, Kaede-sama. And truthfully, I do not fully comprehend what you're telling us. It seems that it all comes down to choice. Not some special ability," Kagome stated.

"That is where ye are wrong, Kagome-chan," Kaede said wistfully. "I believe that ye ability is ye compassion to love all. Whether they be ningen, hanyou, or youkai doesn't matter to ye."

"But, again, that all comes down to choice!" Kagome said, frustrated. "I _chose _to be this way because I respect all life. I don't think it's some ability given to me by the Kamis."

"Whether ye believe it or not is up to ye," Kaede smiled. "It is just a story that has been passed down from generations."

"Sure," Kagome grumbled. "Now you tell me."

Ignoring Kagome, Kaede continued, "I, personally, am unsure of the truthfulness behind the story, but it would certainly explain ye's predicament."

"How?" Shippo asked curiously.

"Well, perhaps, Kagome-chan's compassion for all creatures is based on another level, allowing her to transform into a youkai when she feels threatened."

"It still don't understand..." Kagome huffed as her mind swam in never-ending circles.

"Kagome-chan, ye realize that everyone must die. Ye understand the mortality of ningen life, and ye understand the suffering one must go through when losing a loved one. Ye also understand the hardships that Inuyasha – a hanyou – endured as a child. And, ye also accept that youkai and ningens need to collaborate to survive this era and the next."

Kagome frowned. "But, Kaede-sama, you accept all of those as well. How would that make me different or have this ability."

"I do not have compassion for youkai, Kagome-chan. I am tolerant. I have become acquainted with many youkai over the years, but I do not trust them – Inuyasha is an exception. I believe that since ye are from a different era, ye have a better appreciation of all species because ye have not seen the horrors and wars caused between the two species."

"I suppose..." Kagome trailed off as she continued to think.

Everyone was silent as they were left to their own thoughts

XXX

Sesshomaru had watched in amusement as the two women bantered back and forth. He understood where the old ningen was coming from, but he didn't believe her logic for one second. Her theory had too many loopholes, and as Kagome had said, it could all be down to choice, not a special, unknown ability. He silently continued to watch the exchange, and he could tell that the kitsune was completely lost but pretended that he understood the words being spoken. When the silence had fallen over the group, Sesshomaru tried to interpret everyone's facial expressions.

The kitsune sat close to his mother, and sometime between Kagome and Kaede's conversation, he had taken Kagome's hand in his. His face was stoic and betrayed nothing, but Sesshomaru could see from the shifting of the kitsune's eyes that he was confused and unsure of what was happening.

The elderly miko poured herself another saucer of tea and quietly sipped the hot liquid. She appeared to be lost in thought, but Sesshomaru wondered if she was truly thinking or if she was beginning to drift to sleep.

The younger miko's expression was easiest to read. She was in pain – he could tell from her scent – and her face was etched with lines of confusion and worry. He didn't have to guess what she was thinking; it was easy to determine. She was wondering if what the elder miko had said was true, and if it was true, it would mean that her father was not alive. But, there was that glimmer of hope in her eyes that – Sesshomaru could only assume – his prediction was more accurate than her sensei's.

He returned his attention to the darkness outside the window, but he was not prepared for the question that broke the silence.

Kaede had been pondering what Sesshomaru's thoughts were to Kagome's predicament. She didn't know how to ask the Taiyoukai without making the situation uncomfortable or somehow offend the lord. She pursed her lips in anticipation to Sesshomaru's wrath as she asked, "What do you think about Kagome-chan, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Startled, Kagome's head shot up to see what Sesshomaru would do and if she needed to intervene. In an exaggeratedly slow motion, Sesshomaru turned his head from the window to the old miko and glared at her.

Kaede sighed in exasperation. "About how she turned into a youkai?"

Kagome half expected him to tell Kaede what he had told her the previous day. But, that would be too much to ask for.

"This Sesshomaru will not repeat himself."

Kaede frowned as she wondered when he had ever told her anything about the situation.

"Am I missing something?" Kaede asked as she tried to remember if they had had a conversation about it earlier. "Perhaps, I'm going senile."

"You're not going senile, baa-chan," Shippo said reassuringly.

"Thank you, Shippo," Kaede smiled.

Kagome glared at Sesshomaru and tried to remember exactly what Sesshomaru had said the night before so she could relay it to Kaede. "Sesshomaru-sama believes that there may be a connection between me and the Daimyo of the East. My father and the Daimyo have the same first name. I'm sure it is a common name, but there could still be a chance that he is my otosan, right?"

Kagome looked hopefully from Kaede to Sesshomaru to Shippo. If she had expected reassurance from Sesshomaru, she would be poorly mistaken. However, Kaede and Shippo offered encouraging smiles.

"There's something else as well, Kaede-sama," Kagome said cautiously.

"What is it, child?"

"There is a mark on my back – some sort of design – which Sesshomaru believes are the same marks that identify the family of the East."

"I am unfamiliar with these marks, but I would like to see the one on ye's back."

Kagome turned slowly so that her back was to Kaede. She reached for the collar of her kimono to push it off her shoulder, but she winced in pain as the cut down her side stretched with the movement. Kagome whimpered quietly as she continued to push the collar off her shoulder. It fell to the side to expose a part of her back that was covered in black markings.

Kaede noticed when Kagome winced as she moved, and she wondered what had happened to her this time. What she wasn't expecting were the black, designs that adorned Kagome's entire back.

"Why do I not remember seeing these when I bandaged ye before?" Kaede asked in shock as she traced her wrinkled hand over Kagome's back.

"I'm not sure. Magic, maybe?" Kagome said unsure. "Perhaps, people can only see it when I tell them about it? Whoever bandaged me the other day didn't notice it either until I had told them it was there. Maybe it's some sort of defence mechanism or something? Protect my identity or something? I don't know."

Kaede nodded. "Speaking of bandages, what did ye do to yourself!"

Shippo looked solemnly at Kaede and looked away. "Okasan was injured because she was defending Rin-chan and myself."

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at Shippo and frowned. "I would do it again to make sure you were safe," she whispered.

Shippo looked up at her with tear-filled eyes but quickly blinked away.

"Shippo, could ye get some new bandages?" Kaede asked, not wanting to continue to ask what had happened in case it upset Shippo even more.

"Hai, baa-chan," he said as he got up and went to one of the few rooms that was used for supplies.

"Sesshomaru-sama, would ye turn away to allow Kagome-chan some privacy while I dress her wound?"

Sesshomaru said nothing and Kagome huffed, "It's nothing he hasn't seen before."

Kaede nodded and ordered Kagome to lie on her uninjured side so that her injured one would be exposed. Kaede peeled the blood-crusted haori from Kagome's skin. Her hadajuban had been used as a bandage tourniquet, leaving Kagome's chest bare. Fortunately, Kaede had asked Kagome to turn away from Sesshomaru so that all he could see was her back, but that did not stop the blush that crept over Kagome's skin.

Shippo returned with the proper necessities and Kaede quickly set to work on disinfecting, stitching, and bandaging the wound. All of this was done in silence except for the small whimpers of pain that would occasionally escape Kagome's lip as Kaede touched a tender part of the wound. Once everything had been looked after, Kaede refused to let Kagome put back on her tattered haori and insisted to wrap a blanket around herself; Kaede's logic was that the wound needed to breathe.

Kaede set about cleaning up the mess she had made and putting away the tea while the three other inhabitants sat awkwardly in silence.

Kagome was propped up against a wall so that her wound would not be over-exerted from keeping a straight posture. Shippo sat beside her and held her hand in his as he silently reassured her that everything would be okay.

"I will be right back. I am just going to fetch some water," Kaede said in a tone that said 'If there is any monkey business, I will personally see to its end.'

Shippo nodded as he rested his head on Kagome's shoulder. Through half-lidded eyes, Kagome looked over at Sesshomaru to find him staring intently back at her.

"Why did you follow me?" Kagome asked as she tried to cover a yawn.

"This Sesshomaru said that he would not abandon you while you were in a state of disarray and while your appearance was unseemly. This Sesshomaru has dishonoured his word and means to rectify his honour by assisting you on your journey to determine whether or not the Daimyo is related to your bloodline."

Kagome was shocked out of her moment of tiredness as she realized that that was the most she had ever heard him speak at one time _while –_ inadvertently – giving an apology. "Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama."

"Hnn."

Kagome rested her head against the wall as she looked up at the ceiling of the fuseya. Almost instantly, her eyes widened and she looked across the room at Sesshomaru. Something had just occurred to her that she hadn't even thought of. _Why me? Why am I the one that this has all happened to? First the Shikon no Miko and now this? An Inu-youkai? Why am I turning into a youkai when I look so much like my mother who is definitely human? Unless youkai have found a way to seal their identity from humans? What triggered me to change in the first place? And why now when I have been threatened so many times before?_

These thoughts circled through Kagome's head mercilessly until Kaede returned with a pail of water, and she asked Kaede the same questions that were overflowing her mind.

"Calm down, Kagome-chan," Kaede laughed. "Ye are thinking too much. Just be here in the now."

Sesshomaru watched in amusement as the young miko fought to keep her temper under control.

"I know, Kaede-sama. But, why me? This makes no sense at all. Why after all these years am I only learning of this now? I have been threatened before. My loved ones have been threatened before. Yet, I have never reacted in a way that involved me turning into a youkai. What triggered this? Some sort of spell? I'm sorry, but I'm really done with spells. I don't know how much more of these unanswered questions I can take. I need to speak with the Daimyo of the East to determine if I am who I think I am. I don't even know who I am anymore. For all I know, my name could be different or everything I've believed to be true is a lie."

Shippo squeezed his mother's hand in reassurance, and she slowly began to calm down. "We'll figure things out, okasan. I promise."

Kagome blinked, realizing she had just spout out a bunch of nonsense, and smiled down at her son. "I think it's time for bed. We've had a very long and trying day; we could use the sleep."

Shippo nodded as he helped his mother to stand.

"Goodnight, Kaede-sama. Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome smiled while attempting to hide a yawn.

Shippo hugged Kaede and nodded to Sesshomaru. As they walked towards the room that Kaede kept reserved for the two of them, Kagome picked up Shippo, wincing at the exertion.

"Okasan," Shippo complained as Kagome carried him into the next room. He didn't struggle against her in case he injured her more, but continued to protest. "You could hurt yourself. Or reopen your wound. I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to you because of me."

Kagome kissed his cheek and smiled sadly. "I already told you Shippo. I will do whatever it takes to make you safe and feel loved."

"But–"

Kagome hushed Shippo and whispered. "You are my son, and I will always love you."

XXX

Sesshomaru listened to the young miko reassure her son that she was fine and there was no need to worry. He was amazed by the truth of her words and the conviction she said them with. He admitted that the kitsune was right when he had said that he needed her just as much as she needed him. The kitsune and the young miko were all that they had left.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" Kaede whispered so that Kagome could not hear them.

The Taiyoukai turned his head to face the old woman, but he said nothing.

"What are ye intentions with Kagome-chan?" Kaede asked. "I am purely asking from a motherly point of view."

Sesshomaru didn't know how to answer that. Why was he there? His common sense said that he was only there because of his Taiyoukai pride: if the miko had been injured on her way to Edo, he would have been responsible because she was supposed to be under his care. He decided that this was an acceptable answer and stated so. "The miko has shown kindness to this Sesshomaru and has saved his life. The least this Sesshomaru could do is to see that the miko is safe and unharmed."

Kaede bit her lower lip. "Kagome-chan does not need another protector, Sesshomaru-sama. She is capable of protecting herself and Shippo. She does not need unnecessary heartache;" – Kaede gave Sesshomaru a piercing stare, saying that whether he meant to or not, she would hold him personally responsible for any harm – mentally or physically – that came to Kagome – "she has been through enough."

Sesshomaru got up and exited the fuseya without saying a word, but he silently agreed with the old miko. He vaguely knew of the hardships that the young miko had faced. Death. Danger. Different eras. Threatened. Killed.

Sesshomaru ran through Inuyasha Mori without looking back, images and memories swirled in his head. He came to a halt when he reached the Goshinboku and paused in his thoughts. An image of a black-haired hanyou flashed across his mind's eye, and he thought back to the day Naraku was vanquished. It was a victorious day, but it was a horrific one.

It was the day that Kagome Higurashi died.

* * *

A/N: I know you all probably hate me right now for leaving it at that. This is another filler chapter: build up the story line and the suspense. Find out the relationship that the characters have with each other, etc., etc.. Anyways, I'm sorry if Kaede's little rant in the middle of the chapter made no sense. It made no sense to me, which kind of made it entertaining. I mean, Kaede is getting on in her years, I'm sure she's allotted a couple elderly moments here and there. The part that she talked about pretty much has no relevance in the story; it's just to keep up options of what happened to Kagome (although I'm sure it's pretty obvious, but we'll see).

I probably won't be updating for a while again. I'm finally at the last chapter that I wrote before I went MIA for a couple of years, which means that the next chapter will be all from scratch. Which means it's going to take me forever to figure out how to write it and what I want to have in that chapter.

Not sure if I'll be explaining what's going on with Shippo or Kagome's death in the next chapter either. I might make you guys wait for that one :P And to be honest, I had no idea that the story was going to take a turn like that; I was just writing away and I was like "Hey... it would be really cool if she was dead." But, yeah, I'll tell you guys how that all happened in later chapters (gets rotten tomatoes thrown at her).

Hopefully, I'll do some writing tomorrow. Well, I'm 90% sure I'll do some writing tomorrow. Whether it's for ULWSU or one of my own novels, I'm still undecided. At the very least, I'll get the plot line for the next chapter done. I'm thinking I might have Kikyo pop into the next chapter as well, but we shall see how things go.

Hope all of you guys liked this chapter (besides the cliff hanger, I'm sure). I've been writing it since 9:00 pm and it is now 2:00am. I'm extremely tired right now.

Love you guys! (Even though I'm sure you're not loving me too much right now).

-FDS

**PLEASE REVIEW! ;D**

_I am going to put the definitions of some things because I had no idea what half of them were, and I figured that if I didn't know what they were, there was a pretty good chance that you guys won't either :P Wikipedia definitions are directly taken from Wikipedia, and therefore, I don't own it unless it's in brackets (_). The Japanese translations are from an online translator – please don't hate me if the translations are wrong x.x I'm a fail; I know :P I will be adding to the definition/translations as the story progresses, so please check it out if you are confused._

**Wikipedia Definitions:**

**Iaido – **a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.

**Kendo – **a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu. Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements. Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the _katana_.

**Jujutsu – **the art of using indirect force, such as joint locks or throwing techniques, to defeat an opponent, as opposed to direct force such as a punch or a kick. This is not to imply that jujutsu does not teach or employ strikes, but rather that the art's aim is the ability to use an attacker's force against him or her, and counter-attack where they are weakest or least defended.

**Hadajuban - **is a thin garment similar to an undershirt. (It is worn under the kimono/nagajuban).

**Susoyoke - **is a thin half-slip-like piece of underwear worn by women under the kimono/nagajuban.

**Daimyo - **a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lord in premodern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings.

**Japanese Translations:**

**Kuma –** bear

**Hahaoya –** mother (formal)

**Hiretsukan –** mean bastard, despicable person, sneak

**Koishii –** beloved / lover

**Otosan – **father

**Okasan – **mother

**Noumin – **farmer

**Fuseya – **hut

**Ma-chanto – **merchant

**Chichioya –** father (formal)

**Mori – **forest

**Haori – **jacket worn over kimono

**Baa-chan –** grandma (grandmother)

**Kekkou desu –** No thank you

**Gomen nasai –** I'm sorry


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary: **

Isn't it strange to fall in love with someone unexpected? To have that kind of relationship with someone, is all that Kagome has ever wanted. Unfortunately, she has other priorities that come first: her son, her friends, her family, her job. But, what happens when one of her closest friends betrays her and attempts to murder her. Will that unexpected someone she has been waiting for, save her? Will love blooms from a simple act of kindness? Or will that act of kindness be rejected and leave Kagome more broken than before? SessxKag pairing. Please Review. :]

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or anyone in this story.

"Speaking"

_Thoughts_

**Chapter 7**

Kagome sat quietly on the bank of the stream, allowing the cold water soak her sore feet. She bit her lip as she contemplated the musings of Kaede and Sesshomaru; the endless possibilities of her past and future swirled through her mind. Of course, she thought about her future regularly, but over the past several days, her whole perspective of her future had changed. Now, there was the possibility that her father was a youkai and still alive or her miko abilities had progressed to an incomprehensible level that she had difficulty understanding. She sighed and watched the water ripple as she raised one of her feet from the water, droplets effectively sliding down her foot and hitting the water of its origin.

She thought about Shippo's behaviour. Why had he changed so much since they had defeated Naraku? She couldn't help but wonder why. She tried to remember the events that had taken place that day, but like the night before, she could only catch glimpses that were out of focus. She concentrated on the now still water and on the images that flashed across her mind's eye. She gasped as the roll of memories stopped on one vague snapshot of a dark figure looming over her. As soon as it flashed into her mind though, it was gone. She flopped onto her back and covered her eyes with her arm, shielding her eyes from the blinding light above.

"What was that about?" she mumbled.

In the distance, she could distantly hear the chatter of Kaede and Shippo as Kaede explained the differences between two herbs. Shippo had warmed up to Kaede after the good night's rest, acting more like the boy she remembered. When she had awoken, Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight, and she couldn't sense his youki either. Kagome figured, that once he had seen that she was unharmed, Sesshomaru took that opportunity to leave discretely. She hadn't expected the Taiyoukai to stay, but a part of her had hoped that he would have stayed. She was desperate to find answers about herself and the connection that she may or may not have with the Daimyo of the East. Sesshomaru was her only link to that.

She removed her arm from her eyes but kept them shut as she allowed herself to bask in the morning rays of sunlight. When she finally opened her eyes, she squeaked as a dark figure loomed over. Her mind flashed to a distant memory that she couldn't fully remember, but she shook her head as she propped herself up on her elbows and looked up at the intruder.

"What do I owe for the pleasure of your presence, Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome asked as she grinned up at him.

Sesshomaru glared down at her and swiftly turned on his heel, striding in the opposite direction. Kagome scrambled to her feet, taking care not to over extend her injuries as she raced after him.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" she called, holding her side while jogging after him.

He did not turn, but he slowed his pace so that she could catch up. After a moment or two, she caught up to him and clung to his arm for support; she breathed heavily and, with her free hand, clutched her side.

"Thank you," she sighed, still holding onto his arm.

"Hnn," came his response.

They walked in silence for a while, Kagome unconsciously using Sesshomaru as a crutch. She was so lost in thought, she hadn't noticed that trees had engulfed them. Kagome looked around and was shocked when she realized that Sesshomaru was leading her away from the village.

"Sesshomaru-sama, where are we going?"

Sesshomaru glanced down at her and returned his gaze to the path before them. "Away from the village."

"I can see that," Kagome said softly, "but I'm not leaving without Shippo. I should probably say a proper goodbye to Kaede-sama but-"

"You misunderstand," Sesshomaru responded. "I'm taking you away from the village so you can ask me the questions you have been asking yourself without interruptions or distractions. I will try to answer them as best I can."

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru and was astonished that he was speaking in first person rather than his usual third person. "Why are you doing this?"

Sesshomaru helped her sit on a fallen tree and stood before her, saying nothing.

Kagome hesitated, realizing that he was awaiting her questions, but repeated her earlier question. "Why are you doing this?"

Sesshomaru looked at her evenly, and his expression betrayed nothing. "I already said-"

"No," Kagome interrupted. "I know what you said. You said you would answer the questions I have, and one of them is to why you are allowing me the time to question and receive accurate answers from you? I don't understand why you are doing this."

Sesshomaru was about to respond but he paused. Why was he doing this? If not for her, then surely for himself? He thought about it, but he couldn't think of a logical reason as to why he was helping her aside from the fact that he had dishonoured himself by allowing the miko out of his sight. "I find it suitable to answer your questions in hoping that it will assist in answering my own. I believe that in helping you determine the path set for your future it will aid my own speculations."

"And what are your questions and speculations, Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome asked as she tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear. "I can hardly believe that someone of your stature would be unsure of himself."

It wasn't said in an accusing tone; it was said with curiosity and disbelief that even a Taiyoukai had questions that he didn't know the answers to.

"I wonder about many things, miko," Sesshomaru stated, keeping his eyes fixed on the woman before him. "It would depend on the manner and context of which you speak. Is there something specific you wish to ask me about this topic? Or shall we proceed with the questions you asked the elder miko last night?"

"Isn't there anything you want to ask me first?"

"No."

Kagome bit her lip as Sesshomaru brushed her question to the side. She frowned and fidgeted with the hem of her kimono as she thought about the questions she desperately sought the answers to but knew that Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to answer. A long silence followed as Kagome pondered what to ask. Finally, she decided to ask the most obvious and unanswerable question.

"Why me?"

Sesshomaru didn't have an answer to that, but he did respond with, "It is never a matter of why. We are given the life we are given; whether we are content is debatable. The past cannot be changed due to choices made by our forefathers, but the life we are given can be lived to its fullest or we can allow ourselves to wither away, wondering what could have been rather than what is."

Kagome nodded slowly. It wasn't the answer she had wanted, but she knew that Sesshomaru was right; there was no way to change the past. She was only in the Sengoku Jidai because it was predestined to be. She was not there to change the past for it had already come to pass; she was just meant to live it day by day so that the future could be seen.

She sighed and changed the subject. "If my otosan is the Daimyo, would that mean his mate is also youkai? And, would that mean that his mate would be my okasan? Or is the okasan I know in the future truly the woman who gave birth to me?"

Again, Sesshomaru didn't know the answer. "It is possible that the Daimyo's mate is of your blood, but the rate that you age articulates otherwise. You age as a human, but there is youkai blood that flows through your veins."

Kagome nodded slowly. "What's the Daimyo like?"

"I do not concern myself with the Daimyo of the East; my knowledge of the man is little, yet I find the man arrogant and intolerable," Sesshomaru paused at Kagome's expression of disbelief. "It would be wise for you to constitute your own opinion."

"You said that the Daimyo is mated though?"

Sesshomaru inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Do they have children?"

"They have no recorded pups."

"Which raises another question," Kagome said quickly. "It allows Kaede-sama's theory to become more probable."

Sesshomaru shook his head. "That possibility is inaccurate."

"How so?"

"The probability of a miko having additional abilities is impossible. A miko's pure energy comes from the Kamis; what the elder miko was describing is something that is dark and selective. If it were the Kamis wish to gift their pupils with extraordinary capabilities, they would have done so. The power the miko was talking about sounds more threatening than peaceful."

Kagome was amazed at how much Sesshomaru knew about mikos and told him so.

"It is customary that a Taiyoukai-to-be should know every species and the threats they may cause to one's domain."

"I'm hardly a threat," Kagome laughed.

"In your own right, you are," Sesshomaru said calmly. Kagome blushed at the – almost – compliment. "The difference between species immediately puts one another at war; it is instinct for one to protect what is theirs."

"Are we at war?" Kagome asked, pointing between herself and Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru thought about it and came to a conclusion. "No. We are not at war."

"Why not? Everyone else seems to be at war."

In a flash, Sesshomaru had Kagome's fragile neck in his hand and looked down at her with a blank expression. "Do you wish for us to be at war?"

Kagome watched the golden orbs that searched her own and shook her head. "No."

Sesshomaru released her neck and stepped away. "Then do not say such asinine things."

Kagome bowed her head, but glanced up at the Taiyoukai through her lashes. He stood aloof and untroubled, not that she had expected him to portray any emotion. She was astounded that Sesshomaru was being so familiar with her; in all honesty, she had expected him to give her half answers, which would lead to more questions and more half answers. From what she could tell, Sesshomaru was answering everything truthfully, trying not to confuse her even more. To Kagome, it felt like he was trying to reassure her in his own way without physically or verbally stating so, which brought Kagome to what Sesshomaru had said. He had said that they were not at war. Would that make them two people with a common interest? Allies? Friends?

"What am I to you, Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome asked before she realized what she was saying. Her head shot up as she covered her mouth in embarrassment. She carefully examined Sesshomaru's movements to determine whether she had offended him or not, but he didn't betray anything with his stoic demeanour.

_What is she to me?_ Sesshomaru contemplated the miko's words, trying to interpret her nonsense. He didn't understand the implications for which she asked the question, and he couldn't fathom what could have possessed her to ask the question. He found the miko before him to be frustrating and irritating, but he had not lied when he said that they were not enemies. Sesshomaru couldn't find the words to say what the miko meant to him because he didn't know how to explain it to himself. He didn't respond and watched as the miko's face fell at the drawn out silence.

"Are we allies?" Kagome asked, trying again. "Are we two, civil adults who coincidentally are on the same path? Are we friends? What am I to you?"

Sesshomaru was shocked by the desperation that crept into her voice. Aside from the elder miko and the kitsune, all of her friends had moved on with their lives, leaving her behind. Sesshomaru was sure that it wasn't intentional; it was just the effect of growing up and that the miko's friends would be there for her if she needed them. But, to the miko, it felt like everyone was moving on while she was stuck in a rut she couldn't escape. Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel pity for the woman before him, and mentally sighed.

"If you wish it, I find it acceptable to be referred to as 'friend,'" Sesshomaru said stoically.

Kagome's eyes widened in shock, and her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, trying to reclaim its breath. She hadn't expected that response; actually, she hadn't expected him to respond at all, yet she was faced with it. She didn't know how to respond back to that; she wasn't sure how she was feeling, mostly in shock from even hearing the word _friend_ come out of Sesshomaru's mouth. But, there was a part of her that was happy with his answer, and she smiled to herself.

"I wish it," Kagome said softly.

Sesshomaru nodded and turned, heading back into the woods. Kagome hopped off the fallen tree and jogged to catch up to him. He glanced down at her and nodded then returned his attention to the path, and Kagome's mind began to drift at the rhythmic sounds of their feet hitting the earth. Kagome's gaze wandered to the Taiyoukai beside her, and not for the first time, she wondered what the true difference between her and Sesshomaru was – aside from the fact that he was a Taiyoukai that could kill her before she blinked. She analyzed his appearance and came to the conclusion that Sesshomaru did look very human; the only defining features that would state otherwise were his elven ears, claws, markings, and menacing guise. Kagome had only seen the Taiyoukai's real appearance on very few occasions – only once or twice that she could remember offhandedly. Sesshomaru's true form was as an Inu-Youkai, but why did he take human form when his Inu form was more powerful and commanding? Why did all of the youkai, that Kagome knew, take on such mundane manifestations when they could appear so dignified in their youkai forms?

"You are staring, miko."

Kagome laughed in embarrassment. "I was just wondering why you look like this. Why do you prefer to look human compared to your youkai form?"

"I do not prefer it."

"Then why...?"

"The world is changing. As much as I wish to deny it, ningen's are becoming a hazard to youkai. Our only way to survive is to take this appearance."

"So, if you wanted, you could look more human than you do now?"

Sesshomaru hesitated. "If it was necessary."

Kagome locked her hands behind her back as she kicked a rock that was in her path. "So, it would be possible that there are youkai in my era? Ones that have masked their true identity?"

"It is possible," Sesshomaru said as he considered the prospect. "Have humans evolved so much to cause harm to a Taiyoukai?"

"I'm not sure. We've become widely advanced, and if I have not seen or sensed any presences of youkai in my era, then, I'm assuming, they feel threatened by our developments or they are extinct," Kagome sighed as they exited the forest and came across the vast expanse of farmland.

"Interesting."

They were silent again as they crossed the farmland and passed the many farmers. Sesshomaru ignored their glances of fear and accusation, while Kagome smiled and waved, making small talk with them. The farmers would never say what they thought out of respect for the miko, but Sesshomaru could see that they were judging her for every moment she spent with him. They assumed that Sesshomaru was using her kind heart and hospitality to achieve his own goals or that the youkai and miko were romantically involved.

As Kagome conversed with one of the female farmers about that year's crops, Sesshomaru caught the eye of one of the older, male farmers who openly looked at the miko with disgust. Kagome continued to smile and talk with the woman, not noticing the seething look of hatred pointed her way. Sesshomaru locked gazes with the male ningen and barred his fangs at the man. The man glared at him but looked away from the miko and Sesshomaru.

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at Sesshomaru and smiled. She quickly said her farewell to the woman and followed Sesshomaru across the farmland towards the small village. She could hear the chime of Shippo's adolescent laughter and Kaede's throaty cackle in the distance, and her mind drifted to her earlier musings about Shippo's behaviour. She paused in her step and glanced in the direction of the two voices then returned her attention to Sesshomaru.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, stopping at the edge of the crops as Sesshomaru turned back to her. "What happened to him?"

Sesshomaru understood the path that Kagome's mind had taken and glanced in the direction of the kitsune. "Why do you not ask him yourself?"

Kagome fidgeted and frowned. "I don't want to bring it up if something bad happened to him to cause him to be this way."

"If you are afraid to ask, then do not bring it up."

"I need to know though," Kagome said agitatedly. "I don't want him to be unhappy."

"Who said he was unhappy?"

Kagome froze and realized that Sesshomaru was right; she didn't know for sure that something was wrong with Shippo. It was likely that he was maturing at a fast rate because he was youkai and because of the many battles and bloodshed he had seen.

"You're right," Kagome smiled. "I'm probably just overreacting. He's growing up; I shouldn't expect anything less."

Sesshomaru didn't say anything as he watched Kagome continue down the path but did not move to follow. Kagome glanced back and frowned in confusion.

"Aren't you coming?"

"I have things to which I must attend," Sesshomaru stated.

Kagome shrugged. "Alright. Kaede-sama is making miso soup for dinner if you wish to join us. Jaken-san and Rin-chan are welcome to join as well."

Sesshomaru nodded and headed in the opposite direction as the small village engulfed Kagome.

XXX

Sesshomaru entered the small garden where the elder miko and kitsune had spent most of their day; the elder miko was showing the kitsune the differences between medicinal herbs that could be ingested or inhaled. Sesshomaru cleared his throat and watched as the woman jumped in surprise and the kitsune turn to look at him with indifference. He had not lied to Kagome when he said that the kitsune was not unhappy, but he had subtly swayed her opinion to believe that there was nothing wrong with the kitsune and that she was just being overprotective.

Sesshomaru glanced at the elder miko. "Leave us."

Shippo narrowed his eyes at the Taiyoukai and spat, "Don't you dare talk to my-"

Kaede interrupted him as she slowly got from her hands and knees to her feet. "It's about time I got dinner prepared. Will ye be okay, child?"

Shippo glared at Sesshomaru but nodded. "Hai, baa-chan."

Kaede smiled and patted Shippo's shoulder before she took her leave.

Shippo watched Sesshomaru evenly and leaned against one of the many trees. "What do you want, Sesshomaru-sama?"

Sesshomaru was surprised by the stance that the kitsune took; it was one that he had seen many times. One that Inuyasha frequented. "You must inform her."

"Inform who of what?"

"The miko. She needs to be notified of the events that took place when the hanyou was overcome; your actions have her concerned, and she will eventually remember the events on her own," Sesshomaru articulated. "She will not be pleased to know that knowledge has been concealed from her."

"I will not tell her!"

In a flash, Sesshomaru had gripped the kitsune's throat and held him suspended in the air. "You have caused her enough pain and worry. You will inform her immediately."

Shippo's face became red with anger as he clawed at Sesshomaru's hand and yelled, "I will not tell my hahaoya she died!"

A gasp was heard behind them and they froze. Shippo could see over Sesshomaru's shoulder and the Taiyoukai didn't have to look to know who it was.

Kagome watched in shock as Sesshomaru slowly lowered Shippo to the ground and turned towards her. She was speechless; what could she say after hearing that she died? How was she alive if what they said was true?

Shippo slowly walked to his mother and took her hand in his. "I had to keep it from you. I couldn't comprehend it myself or even come to terms with it."

"I died...?" Kagome asked, not a tremor entering her voice even though her hands shook like leaves in the wind.

Shippo squeezed her hand and looked up at her through blurry eyes as tears threatened to fall. "Hai."

Kagome looked from Shippo to Sesshomaru. "How am I alive...?"

"You were saved," Sesshomaru stated.

"How-"

"I will answer all questions you may have," Sesshomaru interrupted, "but not here."

Shippo led his mother from the gardens as Sesshomaru followed behind. Kagome walked in a trance and didn't really take notice to her surroundings; all that her eyes could see was blood. Where the blood began and ended, she couldn't tell.

* * *

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to write this! I was originally going to have a whole bunch of other things take place in this chapter, but apparently, it didn't happen. I know exactly what is going to happen in the next chapter though. I just need to write it, and find the time to write it. I just went back to school yesterday, so I will be a lot busier which might conflict with the time's that I'll update – all of the courses I'm taking require long essays to be done and many novels, textbooks, and articles to be read. I know you're probably going to hate me, but my goal is to have the next chapter up by Thanksgiving (Canada one). So, about the second week of October. I'm sorry for another cliffhanger as well, I'm sure more people are ready to throw vegetables at me.

To be honest, I have no idea where this story is going anymore. I'm just writing whatever pops into my head, whether it corresponds with my original story line or not – mostly not. But, I really hope you're enjoying it so far; I know that I'm enjoying writing it. It'll be a nice break to get away from all of my other work, which I'm sure I'll be required to do.

Like I said, I hope you enjoyed, and I will talk to all of you soon! :)

-FDS

**PLEASE REVIEW! ;D**

_I am going to put the definitions of some things because I had no idea what half of them were, and I figured that if I didn't know what they were, there was a pretty good chance that you guys won't either :P Wikipedia definitions are directly taken from Wikipedia, and therefore, I don't own it unless it's in brackets (_). The Japanese translations are from an online translator – please don't hate me if the translations are wrong x.x I'm a fail; I know :P I will be adding to the definition/translations as the story progresses, so please check it out if you are confused._

**Wikipedia Definitions:**

**Iaido – **a Japanese martial art associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.

**Kendo – **a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu. Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements. Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the _katana_.

**Jujutsu – **the art of using indirect force, such as joint locks or throwing techniques, to defeat an opponent, as opposed to direct force such as a punch or a kick. This is not to imply that jujutsu does not teach or employ strikes, but rather that the art's aim is the ability to use an attacker's force against him or her, and counter-attack where they are weakest or least defended.

**Hadajuban - **is a thin garment similar to an undershirt. (It is worn under the kimono/nagajuban).

**Susoyoke - **is a thin half-slip-like piece of underwear worn by women under the kimono/nagajuban.

**Daimyo - **a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lord in premodern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings.

**Japanese Translations:**

**Kitsune – **fox

**Kuma –** bear

**Hahaoya –** mother

**Hiretsukan –** mean bastard, despicable person, sneak

**Koishii –** beloved / lover

**Otosan – **father

**Okasan – **mother

**Noumin – **farmer

**Fuseya – **hut

**Ma-chanto - **merchant


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